stock trend trading

To Invest In HYIP Or Not - HYIP Investment Tips and Promotions

2007-11-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

This article aims to educate people on why HYIP is right for some people and not right for others because of the risks associated with a potential for large profits.

To Invest In HYIP Or Not

Many people question why you would get involved in a high yield investment program, but really, the answer is simple. Extraordinary profit. While it's true that most high yield investment programs are high risk, they also provide the opportunity to make a large amount of money in a relatively short period of time. High yield investment programs are not for the weary or the timid as it's very high risk investing, but those who do take part are usually not sorry for the experience.

High yield investment programs, or HYIP is something that many investors simply steer clear of because they have heard horror stories or had a bad investment experience and don't want to risk losing their hard earned cash. But, being involved in an HYIP doesn't have to be a bad thing, and for most people, the results are well worth the risk that is involved in this type of investing.

HYIP is attractive for a lot of risk taking investors because they can invest with very small quantities. In addition, most HYIP programs are easy to get started in and follow even if you are relatively new to the investing world. Most HYIPs use a pyramid scheme, so that new investors actually provide cash to pay existing investors. As long as new investors keep coming on board, investors will continue to be paid. With a good high yield investment program this can work out, with poorly planned programs, you'll find that even the first payments are made fraudulently and things unravel fairly quickly.

Investors needn't worry about the fact that some high yield investment programs fall apart, because it's like any business, some succeed, and some fail. It's up to the investor to do his or her research about any one program and decide if it meets all the safe investing criteria. The thing about an HYIP program is that it can be here today and gone tomorrow if people stop investing, which is where a lot of the risk comes from when you invest in this type of program. But, if you get in on the ground level and pull out when things don't seem to be going quite as well, you can still make an extraordinary amount of money in a rather small amount of time.

High yield investment programs really took off with the introduction of electronic currencies such as e-gold. The reason for this is that investors can buy their electronic funds immediately and start investing right away. Often, these e-currencies can be purchased at a great rate as well, making them doubly attractive to investors. Once an investor begins to earn, he or she can cash out any time and will be paid in e-currency, which is then traded in for a cash value. Electronic currencies really brought the HYIP world to the investment forefront because it made the programs even easier to follow and interact with.

Like all types of investing, HYIP is not for everyone. Many investors believe that opportunities to get involved with an HYIP are just like deciding to throw your money away. Because of e-currencies, many people receive emails for various HYIP programs and consider them nothing more than spam from scammers who want to steal their money. In certain cases this may be true, in other cases an HYIP is a legitimate way to make a good return on even the smallest investment. It's all about choosing the right HYIP and knowing when to pull out if things start to get a bit shaky. If you are good at recruiting people to invest in the programs that you are interested in, than an HYIP may be perfect for you. So long as you can keep getting "referrals" or new investors, your HYIP will likely continue to pay well for a substantial period of time. It'll pay even better if the people that you recruit will also recruit, as it's a pyramid scheme that will allow you to make more money if more people get involved.

With an interest rate of around one percent per day, it's obvious that there is serious risk where an HYIP is concerned, but if you do the research, that percentage can add up quite quickly, making you a sizeable amount of money. If you aren't afraid of high risk investing, an HYIP may be the way to go. Just be sure to do your research ahead of time to take away a little bit of the risk associated with this type of investing.

Michael Goldman is a widely known expert in HYIP Investments. He is investing in HYIPs successfull himself and helping others to make their money work for them. You can learn more about Michael's investing techniques by visiting his site HYIP Best and joining the HYIP Forums. Becoming a HYIP Investment expert is not easy, but it can be very profitable, you can be able to gain monthly interest as high as you will never find in any other investment opportunity! See more information at HYIP Investments.

Investing in the Stock Market: How to Get Started

2007-11-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

In the world we live in today there is no shortage of access to investment information. This in itself however, can be an enormous problem. Asking questions about how to invest, where to invest, and what to look for, can bring you many answers from lots of different sources. The trouble is diving through all the clutter to find relevant information to suit your needs.

So when looking to invest in the stock market, where should you start?

First things first, invest in what you know. If you are trying to evaluate a company, make sure you know how it works. The great Warren Buffett has often been criticized for not investing in technology during the dot-com boom. His answer was simple. If you don't know the business model, what the company does on a day to day basis, or how it generates revenue now, and in the future, then stay away from it. It is because of this that he has earned billions of dollars year after year for himself and his investors.

Once you know the types of companies to look for, you'll need ideas. Message boards, newsletters, financial news shows, and stock screeners are all good places to find ideas. Stock screeners are especially useful, because in addition to finding ideas, you can narrow the search down as you go to fit your qualifications. I've personally had good luck using the screener at http://finance.yahoo.com.

So you've found some companies worth looking into, what next?

1. Insider trading -- This is anyone who is considered to have an inside knowledge of the company, and also has money invested in company stock. This could be someone who owns 10% or more of the company, a director, CEO, CFO, etc. Watching when the insiders buy and sell stock, and at the prices they do it, can be very useful in predicting a stocks future. You don't want to buy a large stake in Company X when all the people running it are getting out. Therefore it's always a good idea to watch what the "smart money" is doing.

2. P/E ratio -- The price to earnings ratio can also be a useful tool in evaluating a company. The P/E ratio will tell you if the company is relatively undervalued, or overvalued. A company that is undervalued should have a P/E ratio that is lower than other stocks in their sector. This is a great value to plug into a stock screener to find profitable companies.

Note: P/E can be manipulated (think Enron). Also P/E ratios vary wildly depending on the sector you are looking in. Technology stocks could have an average P/E ratio of 60, while oil companies could have an average P/E ratio of 10. Whenever I evaluate a stock, I don't look at the P/E against all other companies, but I look at it against their competitors in the same sector.

3. Technical analysis and charts -- This is another tool that can help you see where a company has been, where the company stands now, and where it's headed in the future. It shows the company in a graphical form where you can see the stocks activity and volume over a period of time. You can find many tutorials on the internet about this, and you can even get a free DVD that shows you the basics from http://www.technitrader.com.

4. Management team -- Some people just look at earnings, charts, and other technical ways of evaluating a company. This isn't always a bad thing but to really know about a company, you should know the management. You should know what other companies they have been involved with in the past, and how they did when they were there. You should also know where they plan to take the company you're evaluating, and in what length of time they have allocated to get there. It's a bit like evaluating a sports team. You wouldn't pick a championship team without looking at the coaching staff.

These are a few of the ways to help find companies to invest in. Like with anything though, due your homework, write out your goals, and when in doubt, ask for advice from someone who has already accomplished what you are trying to do. Knowledge is the key to being successful at just about anything.

About the author:

Braydon McCarville is the webmaster for the financial community at http://www.themoneypost.com Go there to find helpful tools, ask questions, read articles, and increase your financial knowledge.

Adam Smith Held Labor As Something Sacred And The Core Of All Societies

2007-11-02T00:15:00.000-07:00

Adam Smith held labor as something sacred and the core of all societies. If he lived today, he would be against Free Trade and Globalization as it is practiced. Today workers are the main commodities being traded. Workers are put on a global trading block to compete with one another down to the lowest levels of wage slave and even child labor. Smith would tell Free Traders not to use his name as a tool for their counterfeit free markets. He would have rejected the greed, power and money that drives Free Trade. He was really a Populist who challenged both capitalists and colonialists to conduct business for the good of all. Free Trade has narrowed competition to elite groupings and vast-trans national corporations. It has closed the door to fair trade.

The industrial revolution and capitalism did not exist in its modern form when Adam Smith lived. He was not a supporter of "laissez-faire" practices in the transaction of business and never even used the term. Farming and mercantile enterprises were the main business pursuits of his time. Manufacturing and production as we know it were something coming in the future. Free Trade is based on moving production and factories from place to place base on the cheapest labor markets of the world. Smith believed the opposite as far as wages are concerned. He believed that better wages improved the capacity of workers who are encouraged by enjoying the fruits of their work to the utmost. He still would have been against government controlling the flow of business but at the same time he would have confronted those who live off the suffering of workers. He would point to the government's part in business as the result of the free enterprise system failing its mission to serve the whole of any society.

Smith did say "self interests" were the roots of good enterprises but meant it in a different way as it is defined today. His most famous statement was "It is not the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from the regard to their own interest" - On the other side of the coin , he believed selfish "private interests" led to the "spirit of monopoly" which is obviously happening today in the global economic arena. There is nothing really free about it especially when workers have no voice in the process and are at the bottom of any discussion about Globalization and Free Trade. Protestors are put down fast while meetings of the elite groupings take place. The elite groups from governments, vast-transnational corporations and economists who are far from the real world work day, all meet to set the markets according to their wills. They concentrate on production and investment and ignore the workers. In a weird way, Capitalism and Communism have locked hands in the degradation of human dignity in the work day.

Unemployment rates in the U.S. and other major countries are fabricated to cover the most massive dislocation of workers in history. The U.S. prison population keeps breaking records and only about 40% of all workers qualify for unemployment insurance. This demonstrates the vast voids in the reporting of unemployment. The term underemployment which was once used to cover workers who could not find a full time job has now faded away. A person making only a $100 a month is now considered employed. At the same time, governments keep reporting statistical prosperity while economic decay is obviously all around us. Franklin Roosevelt said economic diseases are highly communicable. Today these disease are an epidemic seemingly out of control. An economic virus has infected the world. A new kind of colonialism has been bred. Nations find they must control their interests worldwide. This causes terrorism and wars.

If Adam Smith was alive today, he would be promoting a book by John Perkins titled Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. This book tells all about the money manipulations by our government saddling third world countries with debts they will never be able to pay. All who are interested in Social Justice and Distributive Justice should read this book instead of The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman. Distributive Justice calls for all parts of any society and economy to serve what is best for the whole of any society and not strip human dignity out of it in the workday. See Tapart News and Art that Talks at http://tapsearch.com/tapartnews

See our other ezine article Lend Lease was Real Free Trade and not chopped liver as in the Globalist World pointing to the fact you can not do business with people who do not have money at http://ezinearticles.com/?id=390710 and Flip the Flat World over and see what you get. It is not pretty at http://tapsearch.com/flipflatworld/

Saifun -- Is It The Little Flash Company That Could?

2007-11-01T19:44:00.001-07:00

NASDAQ: SFUN 26.88

Do you think the market for smart phones, digital audio (MP3) players, consumer solid state drives (SSDs), portable media players, digital video cameras, GPS devices, multimedia and music handsets, memory cards and USB flash drives are growing? All these products provided a disruptive position taking away market share from their predecessors.

One market segment that could see even stronger growth than these separate products we mentioned, and include other growth products, is the flash memory market. Flash is a root component used in all the above products and more.

Based on history we are forecasting that flash is the memory medium of choice for a plethora of devices in the consumer electronics in wireless devices and that flash will grow faster than the wireless devise market. It appears that in the past, memory for computing devices has grown faster than the device that utilizes the memory. Memory of the Personal Computer (PC) and the Internet has grown faster than their supporting platform. With the PC creating tremendous growth and history as our guide the demand for both memory and disc drives for the personal computer was often the impetus of many upgrade cycles. The Internet with the many millions of new web pages created a tremendous growth in storage. Ive seen in many reports that forecasted storage of the internet has been one of the fastest growing subsets of the internet as a whole.

With a decrease in price per gigabyte (GB) of more than 80 percent over the past three years and with the high growth in wireless data the need for new and addition memory could exceed the growth of the hardware device market that uses flash for its memory. The current market in flash memory is about $25 billion annually and its forecast is about 40 billion by 2010.

With each new product cycle the advantages of flash have become more disruptive allowing it to become about 30-40% cheaper every year. Many experts are forecasting this disruptive curve to replace the disc drive market for PCs. Flash has already replaced hard drives in most MP3 players.

Currently the flash memory is designed to support two types of flash memory. One type of memory supports your machines internal usage or operating system, the other type is for more external storage needs. The internal memory often uses the architecture of NOR, which has been established for years and Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) considered by many as the market leader. The NOR technology is a more complex technology and is starting to see the market mature.

Often you will find both NOR and NAND in the same mobile device.

The much faster growing market is for external memory market needs or NAND and the one of the leaders is SanDisk. SanDisk Corp. (NASDAQ: SNDK), founded and managed by president and CEO Dr. Eli Harari. SanDisk and Toshiba jointly launched the multi-level cell (MLC). This technology made it possible to divide the cell and store two bits of data on the same piece of silicon (x2, as it were), which significantly improved the profitability of manufacturers and fabs, basically doubling the price performance curve.

This process has become the leader and allowed NAND MLC to become disruptive to the predecessor NOR architecture and in 18 months penetration has been so great that MLC is becoming dominate force in flash.

We believe that this new curve of double captivity on a single cell technology will become the single most important factor for next generation flash memory, and it will become essential as flash is staring to see possible limits in the reduction of its die size as many experts are starting their forecasting. If flash is going to continue on its curve of lowering the price of a gigabyte by 80% over the next three years, it is my opinion they will need an architecture thats designed specifically to establish this goal. There is a proprietary NROM architecture that has many advantages toward increasing capacity of bits per cell. The NROM is close to production of 4 bits of memory in each cell or quad flash.

The company we believe has a unique position and leads the NROM approach in the flash memory market is an Israeli based company called Saifun (NASDAQ:SFUN).

Saifun is an intellectual properties company which its revenues come in three forms: licenses, royalties and support. This type of model has been very successes for our model portfolios in the past. The three previous companies that had core business from intellectual property we investment into our portfolios were Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) in1997 at 3.31 per share and still holds a position. Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARMHY) in 9/29/1999 @ 9.60 and holds half a position and Rambus (NASDAQ:RMBS) in 1998 which appreciated about 350% in 2000 and we sold the position in the model portfolio when Intel stopped supporting the Rambus architecture late and 2000 and in 2001.

Even though it is very early is Saifun publicly traded history we are excited by its new form of flash memory architecture, it appears that Saifuns approach has many advantages over the more established NAND and especially NOR. The single most important part is their technology curve. They have the ability to double the bits per cell allowing for a second compounding curve. The other architecture they are working hard on is to shrink their size and increase density, but we believe that Saifun with its simpler model should achieve a smaller die than the others but the real advantages with Saifun is the ability to allow 4 bits of memory in every piece of silicon (x4). Doubling again the events of MLC while at the same time reducing their size thus possibly leading the new flash architecture. Another advantage is NROMs ability to work both as an operating system and memory component being able to supply both markets that individually NOR and/or NAND has target.

A second company has just announced that in 2007 they will start producing a 4 bit cell in NAND. The company making this announcement is M-Systems (NASDAQ: FLSH). They claim they will have a product on the market some time in 2007. Even though they have achieved this tremendous breakthrough we believe that because they use the whole cell instead of a fraction of the cell for this doubling process, the whole cells ability to double again may become geometrically tougher. On the last review M-Systems has not explained their business model to (make at own fabs or licenses) and delayed the secondary offering.

It is has been our opinion that companies that form successful royalty models resemble gutters and the fab companies have the appearance like shingles when looking at a roof. When it rains the gutter can create a stronger stream receiving income and achieve a much higher level of profitability. The delay of M-Systems secondary offing might reduce the chance of more fab developments.

Either way this looks like a marathon race and since this is such a very large market it will be about a $40 billion market when quad flash is widely available, that means that any of the top three or four should benefit.

Saifun already competes extremely well with NOR but early 2007 when it doubles the number of bits from 2 bits to 4 per cell it should be able to show advantages over MCL NAND currently the price performance leader. Saifun has a chance of repeating the same step that, in our opinion, allowed SanDisk to lead the last cycle.

There are many new technologies looking to replace flash but at this point there are a few that are close to achieving mainstream volumes. You should know the Saifun technology hibernated for about twenty years. This is very common, the Internet incubated for about 30 years and electricity for 100 years. New technologies often hibernate longer than people anticipate, and then it seems that they often almost explode onto the seen very quickly.

Even though Saifuns approach is about 20 years old, the technology they have just started to achieve is commercial feasibility.

The true advantage is since they only use points in the cell versus in the more convention approach such as NOR or NAND that uses the whole cell. This simpler usage allows for higher data retention and also provides a faster response time, and hopefully more density, and less power.

This is a tremendous advantage having 4 times the bits in competitive cells. Saifun also believe future that future cells could expand to possible to 8 or even 16 bits per silicon.

Possible risk

Saifun only has a handful of clients, if they loose Infineon Technologies (NYSE:IFX) Saifun largest client, they would impact their business tremendously. On a side note, it looks like it will pick up UMC out of Taiwan.

Saifun has basically signed many very large vendors like Sony (NYSE:sne) and Spansion (NASDAQ:SPSN) a spin off Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE:AMD) / Fujitsu (pink sheets) these based solely on the flash market are small in the market, since the production volume is small this could make it harder to be designed into leading volume products.

Even though we believe NROM offers a simpler cell structure with several layers, we believe it will be easy over time to reduce or migrate to a smaller form factor, but this has not been completed in high volume production. If and/or until they can compete in a smaller form factor this company will be, based on unit size, be at a significant disadvantage. Experts believe in 2007 this disadvantage should be at most minimal and Saifun believes in late cycles this will be come a true advantage.

To summarize

1) If Saifun continues to lead the flash market with more bits per cell with NROM flash architecture.

2) If Saifun if achieves the forecasting of smaller die than comparable flash.

If Saifun achieve either of these goals it could become an architecture leader in the flash memory market. If they are able to achieve both they would attain a real architecture leadership position.

According to several of our monopoly theories, available at www.durig.com the stock market value of the companies that lead architecture often grow faster than all the combined companies stock market values that utilize the architecture.

Thus, if Saifun become the dominant architecture with the smallest die size in my opinion it will probably attain the leading stock market value in the flash memory market.

Randy Durig manages the several Portfolios including the Monopoly Technology Portfolio to see the full list go to http://www.durig.com and http://www.money-manager.us

Durigs Monopoly Blue Chip Portfolio National Performance Rankings: 3rd In the United States, Ranked by 3 year annual return, for Large Capitalization Blend, 4th Quarter 2005, By Money Manager Review.

Randy Durig owns Saifun in discretionary client's portfolios and in his own account. Past performance is not a guarantee for future returns. All information we believe to be correct but make no guarantee to accuracy.

Randy recommend for open source investment news to read or publishing articles go to http://www.investment-investment.us.

Property As A Money Making Tool

2007-11-01T18:18:00.001-07:00

You may have reached a stage in your life when you are able to consider investment in property. This can be because you want to secure your future, see you through your retirement years, or find that you have the capital to invest in such a project. There are certain risks you are taking when investing large sums of money, so, it is important that you make the right choices and decisions before investing in property. Consider getting professional property investment advice from property experts. There are property experts who specialize in property developments which can often lead to profitable returns on your investment.

When you decide to buy into a property development project there is a certain amount of research and investigation which needs to be done before hand to ensure you get good investment and returns on the property. So, using a good investment property agent and getting knowledgeable, experienced investment property advice is important. An experienced investment property agent will be aware of the clients needs and requirements, specifically that the client needs to make a profit when buying the investment property, not when selling it.

So, if you want to get a good investment property, find an experienced land investment agent to find the right deal for you. Using an experienced and successful investment property agent will ensure that your ultimate goals are achieved and all your investment objectives are met. Getting a professional investment property agent will ensure that if there is a good deal to be had- where your investment desires can be achieved.

If you are new to properties as an investment opportunity, choose an investment property professional to ensure your decisions are the right ones, get professional advice and benefit from the agents experience and knowledge of the intricate business of property investment. Your chosen property investment agent will have developed strong relationships in their industry with property developers; they are also experienced in recognizing a good investment opportunity, so you will benefit from their personal experience and industry knowledge.

So, make a good investment choice and dont miss out on good investment opportunities which present themselves through an experienced property agent. Let property be your money-making tool by getting expert advice and services from leading investment property experts. Let your investment goals and objects be achieved by using a professional, experienced investment property agent.

Phil Smulian is a reviewer for specialists in real estate investment opportunity, who will help you with real estate investment property, Cape Town Investment Properties.

Steep Gold Price Increases Ahead - Experts Foresee $2000 Per Ounce

2007-11-01T16:52:00.001-07:00

Many investors are realizing that gold and silver now have an upside potential to appreciate that has not been seen since 1980. Similar to the situation of the late 1970s, investors are once again seeing gold coins and bullion as an important hedge against the uncertainly of war, inflation and the potential destruction of wealth due to a shaky dollar. Golds recent performance is also attracting serious interest from investors because it has outperformed the S&P 500 index for the past five years in a row. Gold and silver prices have moved steadily upward since 2001, as the value of the dollar has weakened. Many experts believe that this is a longer-term rally, which is quite young.

Robert McEwen, chairman and chief executive of a Canada-based gold mining company is very bullish on the future outlook for gold. "I expect it to test $850 by the end of 2008, and by the end of 2010, north of $2,000, possibly $5,000," McEwen stated in a recent interview. Strong gold and commodity prices are spurring investment in the search for new deposits by many mining companies across the world. His company is currently exploring for gold on mineral lands in central Nevada and expects to spend about $50 million to develop the site over the coming years.

Gold is seen as a profitable opportunity by many investors, having risen over 50% during the last two years, from $430 per ounce in May of 2005 to its current spot price of around $660. While McEwens price projection is considerably above the current spot gold price, he is not the only industry executive who foresees steeply increasing prices in the near future. The former CEO of a large well known US based gold mining company, Pierre Lassonde, believes gold will reach $750 by Christmas of this year. In spite of the price increases in the past several years, actual production of newly mined gold from most nations continues to decline, as costs rise at existing mines.

In spite of the fact that gold prices have been rising toward their May 2006 peak of $725, they have failed to break above the $700 mark this year, and are still seen as consolidating after the sharp run-up in prices last year. In addition, selling of the gold reserves of certain European nations, most notably Spain, is seen as depressing prices in recent weeks. Silver prices have also remained strong.

Many experts believe that although demand from jewelry makers will likely drop off as gold prices rise, it is likely to be more than made up for by increased purchases from investors who are seeking a liquid investment alternative to the dollar. Investment in gold and silver for both large and small investors has been made considerably easier in recent years with the creation of Exchange Traded Funds funds whose assets are gold or silver held in storage. That expected increase in investment demand, coupled with the declining value of the dollar, rising costs to mine gold and the geopolitical risks around the globe, should tighten the supply and demand picture for the precious metal providing the driving force to move prices upward in the coming years.

The author is an independent investor and not a consultant, advisor or broker. The information and opinions expressed in this article are presented for educational purposes, and are not intended to be used as investment advice. The reader is strongly urged to fully identify and consider all the risks before making any investment.

For more information on the case for investing in gold can be seen at the authors website at: http://nevada-outback-gems.com/gold_invest/investing_gold_case.htm

Chriss Web page and BLOG on investing in the gold and the stock Market can be viewed here: http://nevada-outback-gems.com/gold_invest/Investing_Gold.htm

Chris Ralph writes on small scale mining and prospecting for the ICMJ Mining Journal. He has a degree in Mining Engineering from the Mackay School of Mines in Reno, and has worked for precious metal mining companies conducting both surface and underground operations. After working in the mining industry, he has continued his interest in mining as an individual prospector. He can be reached at P.O. Box 3104 Reno, Nevada 89505. His information page on prospecting for gold can be viewed at: http://nevada-outback-gems.com/prospect/chris_prospect.htm

Making a Living Investing in Penny Stocks

2007-11-01T15:25:00.001-07:00

If you are interested in making a living in penny stocks then you will first need to ask what are penny stocks? The answer to this question is going to vary depending on who you ask. Some people say that a penny stock is any stock that is sold for under $5, while others claim that it is a stock that sells for under $1. No matter which definition you subscribe to penny stocks will generally be offered by small cap companies. The attraction that penny stocks offer to investors is the potential to make a large profit in a short period of time. Unfortunately, people who are attracted to penny stocks dont take into consideration the high risk rating of penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally rated as high risks because most of the companies that offer this type of stock are new to the stock market, and because of this they have limited liquidity, they may not offer financial reports for potential investors to review and there is a high risk for fraud.

If you are ready to accept the risks involved in investing in penny stocks then your next question should be, where can I purchase penny stocks? You have several options for buying penny stocks. First you can buy penny stocks online via an online stock broker. Secondly you can buy penny stocks through a stock broker.

After you have established where you can invest in penny stocks your next task will be to decide what type of investor you want to be. Most people who invest in penny stocks are day traders. This means that they will buy a penny stock one day and sell it as soon as it passes a certain value. This can be as quick as one day. Short term penny investors will typically hold on to their penny stock for less than a year. If you are looking for long term gains then you can develop a long term investment strategy and hold on to your penny stock for more than a year.

For expert web design and marketing options for your business visit the online business development experts at Archetype Development. Visit the entrepreneur blog to see our story. For more financial information and resources visit the mortgage and finance directory

2007-10-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

Futures Day Trading - Patterns in The S&P 500 and E-mini Futures Contracts- PART 1

2007-10-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

Identifying patterns that repeat in the futures market, then jumping on them, is what it's all about. These patterns can be rather complex, requiring an accumulated library of observations. The best way to do it is through your own intuition. There's no better computer trading program than your own trained mind.

When do we start talking about the S&P 500 futures contract patterns that repeat over and over throughout the day? Right now! Theres so many. Just to give you an example of what Im talking about, from June to December 2005, I filled up about 55 typewritten pages with 240 different examples describing the general futures patterns I saw. And Im still adding to them. I then read them into a tape recorder and often listen to the tapes to reinforce these observations.

Its so easy to forget what weve seen. Going through a futures bull market" lasting 5 days can easily erase ideas we learned about the last mini-bear market the week before. The idea is to sit in front of the screen and watch the market unfold. You need to be constantly scanning the various charts, one-minute, five minute, sixty minute and daily bars to look for these patterns and set ups. Your mouse should always be moving and clicking. Take visual snapshots every five minutes. Scan your instruments and environment, just as a pilot does in an airplane .

These futures price patterns can sometimes each take two paragraphs to describe. They can involve COMBINATIONS of price formations, volatility, dullness, spikes, erosion, persistent strength, tick patterns, premium patterns, relationships to other markets, wave structure, volume, time counts and other subtle combinations. They all add up to that magic signal inside your head that the market is about to make a worthwhile turn. One or two indications dont mean much. In addition, they must be in context to the futures market position. Dont get caught swinging from one or two tree branches.

For example, let's say the market goes dull and quiet. This can be very bullish at a bottom. Or it can be very bearish at a top. Or it can mean nothing if the market is in a middle range like when the traders go to lunch between 12-1PM east coast time. Proper context is the key when interpreting these signals into meaningful pattern combinations.

These signals are decoded using "fuzzy logic" - your brain. Digital software can't compete! There's no way to program these complex patterns with a computer or neural net. Ive tried it and have come up with some effective systems, but I've always done better using the human mind for integration.

Part Two of Three Parts - Next!

There is substantial risk of loss trading futures and options and may not be suitable for all types of investors. Only risk capital should be used.

Thomas Cathey directs the managed futures division of Thomas Capital Management, LLC. Get FREE, his complete 44+ lesson, "Thomas Commodity Trading Course" and weekly TimeLine newletter by visiting: http://www.thomascapitalmanagement.com/commodity/welcome.htm The course is brand new and fun reading... a "street-wise" trading e-course. Visit the main Thomas Capital Management trading website at: http://www.ThomasCapitalManagement.com

2007-10-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

2007-10-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

Stocks Double All The Time

2007-10-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

Did you know that $1000 Invested one time, if it returns 100% a year would be worth over $1,000,000 in 10 years? Here is how it breaks down

Start $1,000

End of Year 1 $2,000

End of Year 2 $4,000

End of Year 3 $8,000

End of Year 4 $16,000

End of Year 5 $32,000

End of Year 6 $64,000

End of Year 7 $128,000

End of Year 8 $256,000

End of Year 9 $512,000

End of Year 10 $1,024,000

That is doubling your money every year.

Of course that scenario doesn't include taxes etc.. However if you had a 401K you wouldn't get taxed on it.

Maybe you have seen that before but that shows that the person with a Long term strategy can make a great deal of money from not a big investment. 100% a year isn't a lot when we are talking about HYIP investments but how many of those are going to last 10 years as well? NONE

Did you know a good percentage of Stocks double each year? I just did some quick research on this with the newspaper. I opened up the Stock Market section for the Nasdaq/AMEX. I decided to check the 52 week high and 52 week low for some stocks. What I was searching for is how many stocks under a certain letter were at least double from its 52 week low. In other words for a stock like "Hansen" (I have NO IDEA WHAT THEY DO OR ANY INFO ON THEM THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE) This company (Hansen) had a 52 week HIGH of $44.25 and 52 week Low of $8.51 and was trading above $44. So from the low of $8.51 to the high that is over 5x increase. Point being their are a LOT of stocks that move up 100% in a year, Hansen moved up 400%+!

I did research on a few different letters. (I only looked at letters that had a small # of companies just to show you the research. I didn't want to do like the letter "S" which would have hundreds of companies)

I did the letters "H", "J", "O", and "XYZ". In my paper the letter "H" had 33 companies listed for the Nasdaq/Amex of those 33 companies 16 of them had a 52 week hi/low difference of at least 90%. 17 of the companies did not.

The letter "J" had 9 companies that had a 52 week hi/low of 90% or better, and 5 companies that did not. The letter "O" had 27 companies that had a 52 week hi/low of 90% or better and only 15 companies that didn't. The letters "XYZ" had 17 companies with a 52 week hi/low of better than 90% and 6 that did not.

So of those 6 letters listed above companies under those letters had companies with a 52 week hi/low of 90% or better 69 times and not 43 times.

My point of this is MANY stocks each year double in value no matter what the overall stock market does. All you need is to find 1 a year that can double. That could go from .50 cents to $1. Or $5 to $10 or $20 to $40. You ONLY need 1 stock!

One stock I mentioned on our Alley Cat Trading Newsletter went from .26 cents back in late November to almost $1 in early January. That more than doubled in less than 2 months!The stock was CYGX. I am sure there are many stock trading newsletters online and off. Do some research on them and the companies they recommend. Remember you only need 1 good stock a year. You could very well have a situation like with CYGX where it doubled in a very short time You take your profits and go hunting for the next stock. You don't always have to be in a trade. If that trade took you 2 months you are 10 months ahead of schedule take your time to find the next stock that could turn. Maybe that stock ends up taking 14 months to double.

Steve Hoven has had years of experience trading. check out his free newsletter at http://www.alleycatnews.net.

Surviving A Hard Market

2007-10-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines deja vu as - something overly or unpleasantly familiar. Anyone that has been in the staffing business since the late 1980s and early 1990s knows exactly what this means when referencing worker's compensation. Prior to the early 1980s no one concerned themselves with the cost of worker's compensation nor did they talk about the roller coaster effect of premiums.

There were no terms such as soft market or hard market. But in the mid to late 1980s workers compensation insurance costs started spiraling upward. The upward swing saw many companies lose their business and forced others to turn to self-insurance, retention plans or other means of alternative insurance. Everyone knew that the state fund or assigned risk pool was a proverbial kiss of death for a staffing firm. Then in the mid 90s, without much notice, the market began to soften. Companies who had once fled the insurance market for other insuring vehicles found that the cost of workers compensation through conventional means was much more attractive from a cash flow perspective. In fact, staffing firms were being solicited by many carriers and enjoyed the benefit of a small pricing war. Premiums that were far below prior years losses were being quoted to companies. Modifiers were being ignored or negotiated down and premium credits became the norm as opposed to the exception. Little concern was shown for a companys risk management program. It was a real feeding frenzy by carriers.

The reasoning behind this soft market was that companies had identified the problems associated with injuries and resolved them. Losses were trending down nationally and there were those that said that the market would never go hard again. Carriers paid little attention to the insureds attitude toward safety and loss control when considering a quote for insurance. It is true that there are reasons that can explain the soft market, but the ones mentioned here are not the real reasons. In order to survive a hard market one must know why it occurs. By knowing what drives a market soft or hard, a company can position themselves to experience minimal impact and survive.

First lets look at the actions taken by companies when insurance costs started to spiral. Most companies began looking for ways to lower their premiums and in the early 90s, found that if they would retain a level of their losses, carriers were willing to give better pricing. The more retention taken the better the pricing offered. But this would mean that the insured would need to improve their safety and loss control program to ensure that deductibles they had to pay (retention levels) were kept to a minimum. Much attention was given to the implementation of comprehensive procedures to identify potential employees that might be apt to be injured or to file a fraudulent claim. More safety training was provided to employees. Drug screening became very popular and most companies hired or designated risk managers, qualified or not. A new process of qualifying clients became popular and a team effort for increasing safety and reducing losses was developed between staffing firms and their clients. All of these actions resulted in a significant reduction in loss ratios (losses divided by premium) that opened the eyes of a few carriers. At this time most carriers were reluctant to write workers compensation insurance for staffing firms because they did not believe that the industry could control the worker or the work environment and historical data confirmed this. Remember, this was a period in time that most people thought of staffing firms as secretarial pools or rent a drunk. And with average loss ratios of 150% or greater, payouts for losses were far exceeding premiums collected. So who can blame carriers for not wanting to accept this type of insured? With the advent of all of the intensive risk management being implemented coupled with several months of success resulting in loss ratios of 35% or less, and the retention of some of the losses, the prospect of being profitable by insuring staffing firms surfaced and some carriers decided to take the chance.

But it wasnt just the good risk management procedures that provided the incentive to insure a known high-risk industry. If you look at the graph of the stock market over the past ten years, you will quickly realize that there is a direct correlation between it and the insurance market. Heres why. Insurance companies collect premium from clients but they do not pay claims right away and when they do pay the claims, it is usually over a period of time. This allows them the opportunity to invest the money and earn a return. When the markets are doing well and returns are great, carriers are more interested in the amount of volume they have as opposed to the quality of the insured. An example of this is that in one recent year the insurance industry reported four billion dollars in losses. (This sounds like a lot but is a relatively small amount.) That same year they reported thirty-four billion dollars of investment income. With a thirty billion dollar net, it is easy to see why they would want the premium dollars regardless of the risk. The fact is that the pendulum swung so far in the other direction that in many cases a company could get a guaranteed cost policy for a price less than that of the retention programs. This would prove to be short-lived and the pendulum returned at a very swift rate when the interest rates began to fall and the stock market began its downward trend.

Another factor that must be considered is the number of catastrophes that occur in a given year. Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, drought, fire and tornados can have an impact on all types of insurance premiums. Few insurance companies limit themselves to one type of coverage such as workers compensation. They usually have a variety of lines of coverage. If carriers are hit hard from the above mentioned catastrophes or if they lose millions in lawsuits from employment related issues such as discrimination, it will impact all premium costs. In the mid-nineties, catastrophic losses were minimal. If a carrier suffers losses to the degree that they are forced to shut down, there will be a rippling effect on all insurers. An example of this is the failure of Universal Re. When they were forced to shut down due to poor underwriting procedures, almost immediately prices increased across the country, from five to twenty percent as other re-insurers scrambled to protect themselves from a similar fate. Many front line carriers either failed or saw a significant decrease in their financial position.

In 1998, some insurance experts began to warn of the upcoming hard market. But the economy was booming, prices were still low and these warnings fell on deaf ears. These experts realized that it was unlikely that investments could sustain their high returns. It was also evident that companies were becoming complacent with their risk management procedures. This coupled with the likelihood of a catastrophic year gave reason to warn companies of the impending hard market. And as these experts predicted, the hard market returned.

For some it is too late to salvage their businesses because the insurance companies had turned their heads to the staffing industry and the high cost of workers compensation in the state fund or assigned risk pool eliminated all profits. Some have just closed their doors while others have surrendered their businesses to larger firms for far less than the actual value. And many more will follow before this hard market is over.

Now that you know some of the reasons behind the fluctuating market, what can you do to survive and avoid becoming another casualty? First and foremost you must develop a mindset of long term planning as opposed to insurance carrier hopping. Insurance carriers are looking for companies that want to establish long-term relationships as opposed to those that jump ship every year. This type of relationship affords the carrier the opportunity to better understand the insureds needs and to benefit from averaging. Every company has the potential to have a bad year. This bad year can be softened if it is averaged in with a few good years. When you develop a relationship with a carrier and stay with them over a period of time, both will benefit. You must remember that price is not important; it is cost that counts. A low upfront premium could ultimately cost you thousands more if the company provides poor service. This could include poor claims handling or inadequate coverage due to hidden exclusions. Regardless of who is to blame, a year of high losses will negatively impact your ability to secure affordable insurance. If this is your current situation then do something about it now!

Second, consider some level of retention when possible. By accepting responsibility for the first level of claims dollar you have an incentive to reduce or eliminate a large portion of these claims. It is also important to remember that for every dollar the carrier pays you pay $1.50 to $2.00. If you pay the first dollar then you can save 50-100% on that portion of the claim. Make sure that your contract does not allow the carrier to up charge you for those deductibles. Retention levels come in a variety of amounts and as they get larger you must be aware that the carrier will require that you post collateral in the form of a letter of credit or cash. This can have a devastating impact on cash flow and growth. The most common retention levels are $10,000, $50,000, $100,000, $250,000 and for the larger companies $500,000 to $1million. Captive and Rent-a-Captive programs can be very favorable because they allow you to have better communication with your servicing providers and usually provide you with a return of a portion of your premiums after a low loss year. Many of these programs will also provide you with investment income dollars that normally go to the carrier. But beware. It is important that you have a thorough understanding of how these programs work before making the move. These types of programs are most assuredly designed for those with long-term plans for their business and a serious attitude toward controlling losses. If the program you are considering does not have this mode of operation, then avoid them. Captive-type programs may require a larger amount of upfront cash, but the long-term gain will greatly reduce the cost of insurance. Because they are less cash flow sensitive on the front end it is important to review your financial position prior to entering this type of program.

When deciding on a program it is sometimes best to secure the services of an impartial third party consultant to review your Insurance Desirability before making your decision. The advantage is that the consultant will not influence your decision based on the amount of commission to be earned as might occur with a broker, agent or other direct writer. One company that recently took this approach paid a small fee to have a consultant review their brokers proposal. After careful analysis, the consultant, working with the broker, was able to identify areas that would better suit the insured. The result of the review was that the company reduced their renewal premium by 48%. The consultants fee was 1%. That is a net savings of 47%. This may not happen in your case but it wouldnt have to be that good to be worth talking about.

Finally and most importantly, step back and take another look at your risk management program. Careful analysis will most likely reveal areas that have fallen off due to lack of attention. Situations change and you may need to add or take away certain parts of your program to make it better serve your companys needs. Sometimes you must weigh the cost of a safety process against the end result. If the cost exceeds the benefit then you may decide you dont want to implement this particular process. Look for opportunities to make risk management easier for your staff to implement and remember that they follow your example. If you dont stand firm with your program you cannot expect your staff to be any different. Provide them with the necessary tools for effective risk management and hold them accountable if they fail to use them. Make sure that if a carrier considering a quote for your company decides to visit your facilities that there is solid proof that you are a good risk. Dont expect them to believe you just because you have a risk management book and a few forms. They have fallen for this in the past but wont fall victim to this action again. Prove it without a doubt by making risk management an everyday part of your operation. The result will be fewer dollars spent on losses and bigger savings on renewing policies.

If you follow these simple instructions and monitor the factors such as the stock market and catastrophic events, you will position yourself to survive in a hard market and thrive in a soft market.

The principals of http://www.arcaetos.biz have a combined 50 plus years of experience in risk management, sales training, insurance, and information technology. Since 1997, JPA dba ArcAetos has been a consulting firm dedicated to educating companies on proper risk management techniques and assisting them in avoiding unjust premium charges by their workers' compensation carriers.

Forex Trading - A Simple 4 Point Way To Making Big Profits

2007-10-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

I read a lot about how difficult forex trading is, but making money from Forex trading is essentially simple if you keep in mind the following 4 points.

I have tried to illustrate this live and showed 3 trading opportunities and all made great profits and had low risk.

Lets look at this simple way to make profits more closely:

1. You Are responsible

If you think you can buy an e-book and make yourself rich by paying $100 think again.

Most of the advice sold on the net is not worth the paper its written on. If you want to buy a system keep in mind the following:

1. Make sure the vendor trades it and has made real money and the track record is NOT just a simulation.

2. If you do buy a system make sure you know how and why the logic works:

THIS IS CRITICAL!

If you dont know why it works you will not have the discipline to follow it and discipline is essential when trading.

If you dont have discipline to apply it you dont have a method in the first place.

2. A simple method

If you follow a system or build your own keep it simple.

Simple systems work best and are far better than complicated ones.

Why?

Because they are less likely to break in the face of ever changing brutal market conditions.

How simple?

We use support resistance and just 3 indicators:

Stochastics, Bollinger bands and RSI.

The best methodology to use is to utilize breakouts and sing trade within the trend.

Note: Never day trade this is a great way to lose your money quickly as you have no valid data to work with.

Finally, if you use a system like the above - always trade on confirmation from your charts to get into your position so price momentum is on your side:

Dont guess or try and predict!

This is a mistake made by many novice traders.

3. Money management

Trading using critical support and resistance means that stops are easy to place and risk can be kept low. 4. Targets

Trade with a target where you want to take profit.

Resist the temptation to trail stops to quickly that will simply see you knocked out the trade by volatility.

Once you have reached you target you can liquidate, or trail your stop then but not before.

Dont make money management complicated or try and lock in profits to quickly or have stops to close this is a major reason traders lose.

This sounds to simple!

Yes it is simple - but it works.

Many traders think the more effort they put in the more they will get out of trading, but there is no correlation between the effort you make and profits you achieve.

Work smart not hard.

Trading is essentially simple and relies on a logical robust method you understand.

You will then have the confidence to apply it with discipline.

Many people try and beat the market or think they can win all the time and buy bottoms and sell tops You cant!

The aim of forex trading is simply to make above average profits and if you keep it simple you will.

If you try and be to clever, or get to complicated in your approach you will lose.

FREE ESSENTIAL TRADER PDF'S AND MUCH MORE

On all aspects of becoming a profitable trader including features, downloads and some great FREE Trading PDF's visit our website at http://www.net-planet.org/index.html

How To Become A Stock Broker

2007-10-12T00:34:00.000-07:00

Stockbrokers can aim to trade on the New York Stock Exchange, which is the largest stock exchange in the world, the American Stock Exchange, which specializes in exchange-traded funds, along with small to mid-size stocks, or the NASDAQ, which is the "over the counter" stock exchange.

The average stock broker salary may be in excess of $175,000 for retail stock brokers and about double that figure for institutional stock brokers, while the average investment banker may take home about $850,000 in pay and bonuses.

Traits of successful stock brokers

To convince clients to trust you with their investment, you need self confidence, selling skills and the capacity to take repeated rejection. Stock brokers must have integrity, together with competence and professionalism, in order to excel.

Employers prefer to hire mature people with good interpersonal skills, who have the capacity to work independently. Successful people from other professions, who wish to make a career change, are also welcomed by employers. Employers may like to do a credit check to ensure that applicants have a clean record and a good credit history.

Essential qualifications and licenses

There is no stock broker requirement for any specialized qualification, though many stock brokers have a college degree. A college degree in business, economics or finance can be useful, and it may be necessary to have one, if you are interested in joining one of the larger brokerage firms.

Usually, people dont become stock brokers immediately after they graduate. To become a stock broker, you need to get on the job career training with a stock broker firm and obtain a license, after passing the General Securities Registered Representative Examination. Before you can sit for this examination you have to undergo on-the-job stock broker training with a brokerage for at least four months.

After completing the General Securities Registered Representative Examination, you may also be required to take the Uniform Securities Agents State Law Examination in many states.

Unlike other careers, online career training or free career training for stock brokers cannot replace this mandatory period of working with a brokerage house and grants for career are not available for this practical training.

The Series 7 Stock Broker exam, which is administrated by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), provides individuals with the qualifications needed to trade in various types of corporate securities, with the exception of commodities and futures.

Posting their profile on a stock broker listing on the Internet can help brokers to gain visibility through search engines such as Google and Yahoo and you will get more business. These listings can help clients to make a stock broker comparison, before they decide to give their business to a particular broker.

Stock broking is an amazing profession and those who persist in their efforts to succeed, can look forward to success beyond their wildest imagination.

Ayna Miah knows the stock brokerage industry secrets both inside and out. Now he wants to share his profitable knowledge with you.Discover the insider tips, techniques and secrets that will turn you into a Successful Stock Broker and even if you have no experience whatsoever. www.aboutstockbrokers.com

Avoid Forex Currency Trading Scams

2007-10-11T22:45:00.000-07:00

Forex Currency trading swindlers often attract customers through advertisements in local newspapers, radio promotions or attractive Internet sites. These particular advertisements may flaunt low-risk high-return investment opportunities in foreign currency trading. They may even offer high paid currency-trading employment opportunities. Be very skeptical when promoters of foreign currency trading claim that their services or account management will earn high profits with minimal risks. Be wary if they claim that employment as a Forex currency trader will make you wealthy quickly.

Avoid opportunities that sound too good to be true. Forex currency trading that involves get rich quick schemes are generally swindles. Retired folks with access to their retirement funds are attractive targets for fraudsters. Once your money is gone, it is almost impossible to get it back. Be very careful of companies that will guarantee you a profit. Be careful as well, if they flaunt extremely high performance. These types of statements are generally false.

If the company tells you that written risk, disclosure statements are routine formalities imposed by the government, stay away from that company! Forex trading is very volatile and can be a huge risk for the uneducated and uninformed. If you cannot afford to lose money then do not get into the Forex currency trading market. Do not use your retirement funds for Forex currency trading; that would be extremely foolish.

Be very wary of online trading, it can be impossible to get a refund but it is very easy to transfer your funds. The internet is an easy way for fraudsters to reach potentially millions of people. The internet also can hide where a Forex trading company resides. If you transfer your money to a foreign location, it may be impossible to get it back.

You must get the background of the company you are dealing with. You should ask for all information in written form. Check with the Better Business Bureau as well. Do not rely strictly on information you here verbally. If you are not completely satisfied or comfortable with the information you find out then just do not deal with that company.

You may here the term interbank, it refers to a loose network of Forex currency transactions that are negotiated between financial institutions and other large companies. These are usually the only ones investing in the interbank market. So, be careful of a company that indicates that you should trade Forex in the interbank market. This can be a sign of an unscrupulous trading company.

Another term you may here is Margin trading. Margin trading can make you responsible for losses that are greater than the dollar amount you deposited. Many Forex currency traders will ask customers to give them funds, which they sometimes refer to as "margin." These sums can be in the range of $1,000 to $5,000. Those dollar amounts actually control a far larger dollar amount of trading and customers are not aware of this sometimes. So, in essence do not trade on margin unless you fully understand what it means and what you are doing. You must be prepared to accept losses that can exceed the margin amounts you have paid.

Thomas D. Houser
http://www.bestforexcurrencyinfo.com/

Why We Need A Business Time Management Guidelines

2007-10-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

To a businessman, the important answer to make business success is to have an effective business time management plan. Busy people can find their day all in a mess. Busy people cannot seem to accomplish much is due to the reason that they like to spend too much time staying frenzy.

For many businessmen and entrepreneurs out there, they have to realize and aware that they do not just need good management skills, but also effective business time management techniques to help them.

Many businessmen who run their own enterprises often find themselves handling different job scope during the single course of the day. In fact, these time management techniques will aid you to increase the productivity. Some great tips to start with to keep your head cool.

Can businessmen keep track of their business activities

Many business people have to realize that no matter how much they have organized the day, there is always going to be 24 hours a day. Time answers to no one. There is only 1 single thing that we can manage is ourselves and our time. Many of us will find we are wasting time when we could be utilizing our time much more wisely.

Make sure you make a list and figure out where you are wasting your time at. This list can show us how we can be more productive throughout our business day. You got to know what is actually interferring you is very crucial throughout our day. Tracking activities is not just business time management; it is good business sense as well.

Changing your behavior with the way you work is the one of the best way to manage business time management. In fact, you are not really changing the time. The first thing you do is eliminate those areas where you found time being wasted. Set goals that you will not do that waste time on your activities for the entire week. With that in mind, you have to set specific goals on how you could wish to replace those time wasting activities.

You can simple make decide the best plan to set up for your day once you have establish your goals. You have to be very discipline and work through the plan. This will definitely help you you with your business time management. It will free up those wasted moments and give you time to work hard on tasks in need of completion.

You will see your productivity levels increasing and can have good working habits. With good business time management, your boss or your trading dealings will see a huge enhancement in your work as well, which could get you up the ladder of success.

As explained above are the very basic business time management techniques used in business today. You can find other tips that are equally as useful to you as well. The main steps are explained as followed, first, you must find at where your time is being lost. Then you need to eliminate the waste. Once this is established, you can set specific goals to remain as it is for yourself. This course will absolutely increase your efficiency and help you establish your goals.

The business time management has to be appreciated in order to see results in your business.

Eddy K Elgin is the webmaster of the Good Reference To Effective Time Management Tactics. Drop by at Who Else Needs To Know How To Implement a Sound Business Time Management Plan for more details.

Stock Brokers -- Just The Facts

2007-10-11T20:09:00.001-07:00

Most of the buying and selling on the stock market is handled by stock brokers on behalf of their clients, who are the investors. Many different types of brokerage services are available.

Full-Service Brokers

"Full-service brokers" offer a variety of ways to help clients meet their investment goals. These brokers can give advice about which stocks to buy and sell, and often have large research departments that analyze market trends and predict stock movements, for their clients.

Such services are not free, of course. Full-service brokers charge the highest commission rates in the industry. Your decision whether to use a full-service broker will depend on your level of self-confidence, your knowledge of the stock market, and the number of trades you make regularly.

Discount Brokers

Investors who wish to save on commission fees generally use discount brokers. Brokers in this category charge much lower commissions, but they don't offer advice or analysis. Investors who prefer to make their own trading decisions, and those who trade often rely on discount brokers for their transactions.

Online Brokers

Taking the discount concept 1 step further, online brokers are the least expensive way to trade stocks. Both full-service and discount brokers usually offer discounts for orders placed online. Some brokers operate exclusively online, and they offer the best rates of all.

Account Requirements

Whichever type of broker you choose, your first order of business will be to open an account. Minimum balance requirements vary among brokers, but it is usually between $500 and $1000. If you're shopping for a broker, read the fine print about all the fees involved. You'll find that some brokers charge an annual maintenance fee while others charge fees whenever your account balance falls below a minimum.

Cash Or Margin?

Brokerage accounts come in 2 basic types. The "cash account" offers no credit; when you buy, you pay the full stock price. With a "margin account," on the other hand, you can buy stock on margin, meaning the brokerage will carry some of the cost. The amount of margin varies from broker to broker, but the margin must be covered by the value of the client's portfolio.

Any time a portfolio falls below a specified value, the investor will have to add funds or sell some stock. A greater opportunity exists for realizing gains (and losses) with margin accounts, because they allow investors to buy more stock with less cash. Involving greater risk than cash accounts, as they do, margin accounts are not recommended for inexperienced traders.

Selecting The Right Broker For You

You should carefully consider your needs as an investor before making the choice of a broker. Do you wish to receive advice about which stocks to buy? Are you uncomfortable making trades on the Internet? If so, you will be best served by a full-service broker. If you are comfortable buying on the Internet, and you have the knowledge and confidence to make your own trading decisions, then you will be better off with an online discount broker.

After deciding which type of broker you want, do some comparison-shopping between competitors. Significant cost differences can show up when you factor in all the annual fees and brokerage rates. Estimate how many trades you expect to make in a year, how much cash you can deposit into your account, whether you want to use margin accounts, and which services you need. Armed with this information, you'll be prepared to compare your actual costs for various brokers, and to make an educated choice.

How To Become A Stock Broker

2007-10-11T18:42:00.001-07:00

If you are interested in the stock market, you may be thinking to yourself, How can I become a stockbroker?

There is no educational background needed to get in this industry. The basic qualification you need is an interest in the market. But if the reason for your interest is to simply gain more money, you may end up frustrated. The stock market is a fast-paced, tedious industry, where you have to invest hours and hours to get yourself ahead and to understand the market. You must invest your time to collect a firm set of clientele. But even after having a good understanding of the market and having a set of loyal clients, there can still be curve balls you need to prepare yourself for. This preparation can only be acquired through time and experience. That is what youll have to face when you get into the industry.

Before you actually get in the industry, you have to understand that normally, stockbrokers do not become stockbrokers right after graduation. To start off in the industry, you need to prepare yourself to acquire a license. To acquire your license, you have to find a brokerage firm. You need to be with this firm for at least four months to take the General Securities Registered Representative Examination. After passing that test, many states require you to also take the Uniform Securities Agents State Law Examination.

When you acquire your license, the conservative advice is for you to concentrate first on the industry that you are familiar with. If your background is in the computer industry, it is better if you start analyzing stocks from that industry. This will help you get a quick understanding on the behavior of the market.

Stock Brokers provides detailed information on Stock Brokers, How To Become A Stock Broker, Stock Broker Career, Stock Broker Jobs and more. Stock Brokers is affiliated with Employee Stock Options.

Online Trading Tips

2007-10-11T17:17:00.001-07:00

Online trading is a service offered on the Internet for purchasing and selling equities, derivatives and commodities. It is not some sort of get rich quick scheme, and as such, is really no different than offline trading because the same amount of risk and skill are required. But, trading online is a lot more simple and strikingly more powerful.

For example, online trading is simple because it lets a trader buy one currency and simultaneously sell it to someone else - a quick and simple way to unload a losing currency and minimize loss. Strikingly powerful because while trading currencies in pairs like this, the trader can capitalize on the difference in the spread on the conversion rate. By learning how to skillfully do this, online currency speculators make money over the long run and are able to build true wealth over time.

However, any skilled trader will tell you that to be truly successful you must adhere to a system. Why? Because having a system can be very rewarding. In fact, for those investors who do not use a system, it is only a matter of time before they loss their money.

An integral part of any system you adopt should be to systematically invest in fundamentally strong companies because the risk involved can be greatly reduced by doing so. And, as with anything that you do in life, you should first carry out some research into the various systems available before you make your final decision on which system is right for you.

So, in conclusion consider this...

The majority of experts agree on the notion that online trading is here to stay and will eventually change the financial brokerage industry. In fact, Forrester Research Inc. says online trading is expected to increase by a whopping 48% over the next five years. Furthermore, an interesting advantage to online trading is that there are no bulls or bears, and to set up shop all you really need is a broadband or high-speed connection.

However, even though online trading is a thing of beauty its not necessarily for everyone. In fact, some seem to feel like, of all the possible choices for a home based business, online trading is considered to be the most dangerous.

There is a system that can literally be put into action within minutes of reading about it. This is truly a system that may sound too good to be true, but it is not. To read more about it click here and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Secrets About Setting Up Effective Stops

2007-10-11T15:51:00.001-07:00

Any trader on line needs to set stops. But there are no hard and fast rules to follow. You,need to develop a system that fits your trading style. This means you need to follow your trading plan. However, there are a few tips I can share with you about stops that you might already know. Keep these in mind as you practice and cultivate the skill of setting stops.

First, find out if your broker has rules about where and how stops are set. For example, some brokers have a rule that protective stops must be set at a minimum amount below the current bid when you`re long, a stop sell, or above the current ask when you`re short, a stop buy to cover. The rule may be that a stop sell order must be at least .25 below the current bid.

This trade isn`t usually a problem with a high priced position. But, with a very cheap position, you, the trader on line, might not be able to set a tight stop unless you wait for the bid to move up. In addition, if the price of a position is dropping quickly, the bid may come too close to the stop you`re trying to place before you`re able to place it. This can cause your order to be rejected. Another rule some brokers have is that stops can`t be set more than a certain percentage lower than the current bid or, on a short, higher than the current ask. They may specify that a stop be set no more than 30 percent lower or higher. I have no idea why you, the trader online, would ever want to lose 30 percent of the value of your trade before stopping out, and I would never recommend setting a stop that low.

My second tip is to always review orders carefully before placing them. You`d think it would be impossible to place a limit order when you, the trader on line, mean to place a stop, but it`s easy to do when you`re in a hurry. You need to make sure you, the trader on line, don`t enter a limit order out of habit when you mean to place a stop loss. If you place a limit sell order at a price below the current bid, at the place where you meant to place your stop, it will execute right away and you`ll be out of the trade. Since a successful trader on line generally uses limit orders to enter a position; it`s not surprising that many traders have been known to place two limit orders in a row.

Last, don`t leave stops in place overnight. Many markets are volatile at opening. Most mornings, for instance, NASDAQ stocks either gap up or gap down from their prices at the previous day`s close, and then they swing wildly as overnight market orders are filled. For example, a stock could close at 33, open the next day at 32.80, drop to 31.94, and then bounce back up to 33.15 before stabilizing and finding its direction. It could also close at 33 after a good day, open the next day at 33.75, spike up to 34.50, and then drop back to 33.60. The possibilities are endless.

If you, the trader on line, have an overnight stop in place on a long position, it`s likely to be triggered by the morning`s volatility. This normally will stop you out at the low end just before the stock bounces back up. Remove your stops after the market closes, and reset them after the opening changes the next morning so they will protect you, the trader on line, from a real downside rather than routine volatility.

You might consider doing what one trader on line does, particularly when the market has no consistent direction. Avoid holding many positions overnight. Once you, the trader on line, gets better at expecting what will probably happen the next day, realizing there can always be overnight surprises, you`ll feel more comfortable making judgment calls. As always, if you, the trader on line, don`t have a good idea what will happen, it`s best to avoid the situation, and stay out of the position. In addition, if you`ll be unable to trade for several days, consider whether it makes more sense to set stops or to exit your positions altogether. Unless you`re in a great long term trend trade and the market has a definite direction, it may be better to exit all positions and start fresh when you return to trading. Your capital and profits will be safe, and new trading opportunities will be waiting for you.

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Argentina's Economy in a Nutshell

2007-10-11T09:08:00.001-07:00

Contrary to conventional economic wisdom, rich countries tend to stay rich and poor countries tend to stay poor. The exceptions tend to be those "economic miracles", like Japan, that have lifted themselves from the ranks of the poor into the ranks of the economic elite.

Argentine economic history stands in stark contrast to that pattern. In the early 20th century, Argentina was one of the world's richest countries, with a higher per capita income than that of France or Germany. And while Argentina still enjoys many of the fruits of wealth, like a highly educated population and a modern infrastructure, income per head had fallen to a meager 43% of the rich-world average by 1987. In the wake of the economic collapse of 2001-2002, over half of the population fell under the poverty line, and over a quarter were classified as indigent.

Roots of Wealth

From 1880 to 1914, Argentina experienced a massive population boom as European immigrants came in search of land to settle and make productive. Many ended up in the fertile pampas region around Buenos Aires, and with the help of British-built rail links, an export economy was soon in full swing. On top of an already vibrant wool and hide industry, Argentines were soon exporting corn, wheat, and flour to hungrily industrializing European cities. But the real money was in meat exports, made possible by the invention of the refrigerator ship in 1876; Argentina has been famous for beef ever since.

The Long Decline

While Argentina became rich, Buenos Aires made the transition from sleepy backwater to thoroughly modern city"The Paris of the South"boldly leading Latin America into the new century. Unfortunately, the 20th century failed to meet the high hopes of any Latin American nation, least of all Argentina's.

The trouble started with the great depression of the 1930s, which kicked off a downward spiral into economic and political instability which lasted for the next sixty years. A military coup in 1930 was the first of many, and the civilian governments that occasionally emerged were scarcely more competent than the military juntas.

The government of Juan Domingo Peron (1946-1955) left an indelible mark on the Argentine economy, making it less open to foreign trade, nationalizing key industries, and greatly expanding the benefits of workers. While Peron was somewhat able to redress the gross inequalities permeating the country, he also left a legacy of state control of the economy, stifling private entrepreneurship and creating an environment ripe for corruption.

In the post-Peron years, governments increasingly relied on deficit spending to smooth out social problems. To cover the difference between spending and tax revenue, they simply printed more money, creating inflation. By the 1980s, inflation was out of control; in 1989 the inflation rate was over 5,000 percent.

The 90s Boom

Enter Domingo Cavallo, who stepped in as Carlos Menem's economy minister in 1991. The keystone in Cavallo's economic recovery plan was to curb inflation with something called convertibility, a legal guarantee that Argentine pesos could be exchanged for US dollars at a ratio of 1 to 1. Inflation was tamed, and investor confidence soared as Cavallo steadily opened up the economy to foreign trade and capital. In tune with the free market fervor of the 1990s, the more inefficient state-controlled enterprises were soldsometimes to Menem's friends at bargain prices.

Still, Argentina was clearly getting richer. The gross domestic product grew briskly from 1991 to 1998, with the exception of 1995, when Mexico's financial crisis shook Latin America. Much of the new wealth was accruing to the country's elites, but the poor and the middle class were also becoming better off. The Argentine debacle was starting to look like the Argentine miracle; Carlos Menem became an international celebrity and Argentina a poster child for liberal economics.

The Crisis of 2001-2002

Ironically, Argentina's blatant disregard for a fundamental tenet of "neoliberal" economics proved to be a decisive factor in its demise. As the 90s boom roared on and the government's tax take soared, fiscal discipline would suggest setting aside a "rainy day" fund for the event of a recessionbecause recessions are inevitable in any economy. Instead, the money was spent and new debt was piled up even in the good years. When the economy hit a rough patch in 1999, the government found itself in an extremely difficult situation; it needed money fast and was already significantly indebted.

Luckily for Menem, his term was up and the new President, Fernando de la Ra, was left to pick up the pieces in 2000. He could try to balance the budget by cutting spending or raising taxes, but this would exacerbate the recession and further reduce tax revenues. Faced with this catch-22, de la Ra opted to borrow his way out, in the hope that the recession would quickly and quietly fade away. Unfortunately, this approach often leads to a downward spiral of its own, known as "explosive debt dynamics", in which investors begin to fear a default on the debt, driving interest rates up and deepening the recession, thus increasing the debt even more. This is exactly what ended up happening in Argentina's case.

As a last ditch effort, de la Ra appointed as his economy minister Domingo Cavallo, now a national legend, in a move that electrified the country. But neither Cavallo's mystique or the IMF's haphazard intervention could stave off the coming default. As dollars started to flee Argentina, the government enacted restrictions on bank withdrawals that became known as the corralito, or little fence. In the public eye, this was the final straw, and massive street protests rocked Buenos Aires and other big cities, forcing de la Ra and Cavallo to resign in shame in late December , 2001. The government had collapsed; Argentina defaulted on its debt a few days later.

One of the first acts of Eduardo Duhalde, the new president elected by congress at the start of 2002, was to discontinue the convertibility system by which the peso was linked to the US dollar. With the shortage of dollars in the country, the system couldn't be maintained; there simply weren't enough dollars to trade for pesos. Set free, the peso fell to about 4 to the dollar over the next six months, spelling ruin for those who had taken out loans denominated in dollars. Banks ceased to function as individual debtors defaulted and now-cynical savers refused to deposit money. The poverty rate soared while incomes plummeted. The Argentine financial crisis has been compared in scope to America's great crash of 1929.

After the Crisis

The very dark cloud of Argentina's collapse did have a silver lining. The peso recovered slightly and has held steady at about 3 to the US dollar, a level that makes Argentina's products (and Argentina as a travel destination) much more attractive to the rest of the world. In fact, some have argued that one cause of the crisis was the overvalued exchange rate, which made Argentine exports less competitive. The economy was growing again in 2003, and has since, fueled in part by high worldwide commodity prices. In 2005, GDP roared past its previous peak (in 1998), and many economists believe Argentina is on firmer ground than it was in the 90s owing to the fiscal responsibility of Nestor Kirchner, the current president.

Looking to the future, rising inequality is one concern deeply felt by many Argentines. The recovery has put more wealth in the hands of the wealthy, like the soy farmers leading the new export boom or those who were lucky enough to get their money out before the devaluation. On the upside, employment is up, and a fiscally solvent state will be in a much better position to help those on the bottom rungs of society climb higher.

Visit Argentina Cafe Travel Guide - History of Argentina to learn more about Argentina's history.

What Will 2006 Bring?

2007-10-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

As the year comes to an end, you will see plenty of websites offering stock guidance for 2006 and what you should expect for years to come. This guide can be had for free if you buy this or subscribe on that or sign up for newsletters. This is just marketing gimmick. Sure, they have their use. But they want to get you back by offering you a set of stock guide every year. You only need one stock guide for your entire lifetime and I will give it to you for free. Well, your time is not free so that is what you need to read this guide.

2006 will be similar to any other years. In fact, it doesn't matter what year you are in. You can be in 1921, or 2105 and it will bring the same thing to investor. Therefore, stop reading 'Stock Guide from 2007' one year from now. You just have to read this once.

2006 will bring out the best to undervalued investment and companies having stellar balance sheet. It doesn't matter what economic condition we are in, these stocks will give you outstanding return. Now, these stocks will not give you the best return ala Taser ( up 2040 % in 2003) or Travelzoo ( up 1070% in 2004), but it also will not give you Taser-like loss ( down 80.6 % in 2005) or Travelzoo ( down 75.3 % in 2005)

After all, Warren Buffet becomes rich by getting a return in excess of 20 % annually for a long time. His stock holding does not move up 1000% in one year and move down 80 % in another. Yet, he is doing fine, more than fine. Slow and steady wins the race and apparently it has been time-tested by some of the best investors in the world.

Yep, so your 2006 guide is to find undervalued investments and invest in them. You think oil price will go up in 2006? Then, whip out your calculator, determine the fair value of any Chevrons or Exxons of the world and compare it with the current stock price. Be sure to look at the balance sheet too. Having a positive net cash will ensure that the company you picked will survive one year from now at the very least.

How do you determine the fair value of a stock? Quite simply, you compare it with the prevailing interest rate and add a risk premium to arrive at fair value. For example, if current interest rate is yielding 4.5 %, the fair value of a common stock is when it yields around 7.5 %. This implies a Price Earning Ratio of 13.3

Anything else you need to know? Nope. Your only guide for year 2006 and beyond is to find undervalued investment. It has stood the test of time.

Get Your free investing idea by visiting our commentary section at http://www.noviceinvesting.com

Forex Trading - The Basics Should Not Be Ignored

2007-10-10T00:15:00.000-07:00

Why is it that only five percent of all forex traders are successful? Do they know something that you don't? The answer to the last question is no and yes. Is there some super secret formula that guarantees forex trading success that only a handful of elites have knowledge of? No. Is there certain keys to forex trading that separates the haves from the have-nots? Yes. Allow me to blow the lid off the three keys to becoming a successful forex trader. The first and most obvious key, find a "Reliable Forex Trading System". The second key, "Discipline". Always stick rigidly to your proven forex trading system. Don't let fear and greed cause you to deviate from your trading system. The third key, "Money Management". Money management is arguably the most important of the three keys, but sadly it is the most likely key to be ignored entirely. But let us define forex trading basics first.

Do you know what Forex trading is. Forex trading is an alternative to the unpredictable nature and whims of the other markets. Forex trading is based on the movements of a set of currencies that are sold in currency pairs, where one currency is the base and one is the counter or quote currency. Forex trading is a very interesting method of trading simply because it allows people from all over the world the chance to trade and strike it rich in a market that has untold liquidity. Forex trading is best market for any lover of finance and for any person that prefers his money working for him.

Forex means the foreign currency exchange, and that today alone nearly $2 Trillion will be traded by banks, governments, corporations, trading partners and private and corporate speculators. Forex traders around the world are competing against other forex traders, banks, and institutional traders who are seeking the same potential rewards from their own trading activities. Forex traders frequently jump in and out of the market and closely monitor their positions throughout the day. Forex trading strategies are the key to successful online currency trading but how do you know which strategies to use and when to use them.

Comprehending technical analysis and, in particular, being able to interpret price charts is essential for any forex trader. Technical analysis is a method of forecasting price movements by looking at purely market-generated data. Technical analysis does not guarantee success, but a methodical application of its principles may improve your performance as a trader. The goal of technical analysis is to uncover the patterns given off in a current market by examining past market patterns, often designated as signals.

Once you engage in live trading, you must take care to instill strict discipline when it comes to money management. Your overall personal forex trading strategy should include three vital ingredients; the currency pair you decide to trade, what technical indicators you use for entry/exit plans and sound money management. Forex trading is a speculative endeavor that requires proper training, education, discipline, confidence, risk management and money management skills.

Learning is the key to any field and the field of forex trading is no different. The truth about forex trading is that, many people are earning small profits from trading while only few are successful with it. One of the most basic things that you have to understand about forex trading is that there will always be losing streaks along with the winning ones. The best way to handle forex trading is to have a reliable trading system coupled with a rigid money management system.

And there you have it. A reliable currency trading system, discipline, and an effective money management system are the Holy Grail for becoming a profitable forex trader. These three things will insure that you are a part of the 5% of forex traders who actually make a consistent income from forex trading. Master these three areas and financial freedoms is yours for the taking.

Have you ever desired the income and freedom of being a home based forex trader? Visit the author's (Kenneth Aikens) website for more powerful forex trading information: forex training - forex article directory.

Broker Fees - What Are You Really Paying For?

2007-10-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

There are many ways to approach investing, but all of them involve a broker of some sort or another whether on-line or in a brick and mortar building. How you choose your broker and the services a broker provides vary greatly. The terms full service broker, discount broker, and flat-fee broker may or may not be familiar to you, so I will go into further detail here.

If you have no desire to research your investment picks and have a substantial amount of money to invest, a full service broker is probably what you are looking for. A full service broker will take your money and invest it for you. You can tell the broker that you are most interested in certain stocks, bonds or other vehicles, or you can let the choices totally up to the broker. Because the broker is doing all the work, the commission fees are higher. This is acceptable to most people, as they also are only peripherally involved in their account, and feel the hands-off approach works the best for them. As long as the account is giving you the gains you feel are decent, the fees are worthwhile.

Another route to go with a full service broker would be to get a flat-fee account. This would eliminate commissions and trading fees while still getting the advice and guidance you want. I am not going to throw out any numbers here because the fees vary from region to region and are often negotiable depending on the amount you are investing. You can also find discount flat-fee brokers, meaning you would pay a monthly fee and the number of trades you make would not be burdened by a per-trade charge. Remember that without the flat-fee, you are getting a trade charge every time you buy and sell.

Many people are now using discount brokers, not getting the advice and guidance a full service broker offers. This is more prevalent now than ever before because of the information available on the internet. It is relatively easy to research a company using the internet. Using tools provided free by USA Today, Google, Yahoo and other free services makes due diligence much easier than in the old days of trying to find annual reports and paper records. Most companies now have this information on their own websites available for free downloading in PDF format. Cool.

Getting back to the discount brokers, there are many different on-line and brick and mortar brokers. The best thing to do is compare fees and see what works for you. Some brokers will not offer stocks not carried on the major platforms (Dow-Jones or Nasdaq) so if you are looking to invest in small companies or foreign stocks be sure to make sure they are available. I made this mistake opening an account with ShareBuilder. They are a great broker, but only offer a limited selection of stocks. The trade costs are relatively low, and the stocks they offer are carried by the main exchanges, but some stock picks I have made are not available through them. Not picking on ShareBuilder, just making a point. Be sure to know what you are getting into.

Hopefully this has given you some information you can either use or think about.

Thank you and solid investing to all

Rob

rob@wealthtrainingsource.com

Robert Britt is married and a father of four. He is a published author and has a degree in Psychology from Albright College . Robert is a recognized expert in the field of personal finance, self-esteem and confidence building. He is a full time professional writer and speaker. Robert spent 13 years in the military and 14 years in manufacturing prior to self-employment. Please contact Rob at rob@wealthtrainingsource.com or visit http://www.robertbritt.com

Dramatically Improve Your Stock Trading Success

2007-10-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

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Success in stock trading like with any other business in life comes from being able to see the big picture and from paying attention to the small details. Let's say for example that you are a business owner and you have a jewelry store on a given street just like the guy in the other corner does, but still the other guy is making 5 times more profits than you are only because he's doing something different. He knows something that you still don't and that's what makes him more profitable. The funny thing about this kind of situation is that you could be just a small distance away from being as successful as he is.

The painful thing is that day trading can become a very difficult and life consuming business when you don't know what you are doing. You can lose a lot of money and time. Valuable time of your life. Day trading can resemble the closest thing to a get-poor-quick-method when you don't implement a proven trading strategy.

It's not unusual for a novice day trader to lose $1000 in less than 3 minutes from the comfort of his own home, or waste a lot of family time thinking about the stock he should trade for tomorrow "according to the charts and the stars" and other confusing technical indicators.

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When it comes to trading stocks with momentum there is more to it than the over hyped technical analisys jargon. That is why we won't bore you and complicate you with the same bunch of technical tips and tricks that you can read everywhere. If you want to read a technical approach, you can simply go to your nearest public library and pick up a technical trading book for free.

We know that day trading stocks with momentum is not the only way to make money in the stock market. But it can be the fastest way when you do it right. We also understand that a lot of people shy away from momentum trading and think that only a few traders can profit from it. It's true. Only those traders with proven knowledge have the ability to profit consistently from momentum stocks.

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$$$$ AVII FROM $2.10 TO $4.17

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$$$ IDBE FROM $14.40 TO $15.44

$$$ DESC FROM $2.47 TO $2.77

$$$$ NRPH FROM $14.58 TO $17.40

$$$$ ULBI FROM $15.90 TO $19.73

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5 Greate Tips On Successful Affiliate Marketing

2007-10-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

One of the easiest way to make money on the internet is most probably affiliate marketing.The amazing thing about internet affiliate marketing is that anyone, in as little as 2 or 3 weeks can make nice profits,but a little effort is required for that.

Most of the successful affiliate marketers have the ability to Earn money anytime they want to. Simply put, these marketers have what it takes to think up cash and make them into solid checks.

Sounds good? That's what affiliate marketing can do.

This basically means that you can start from nothing or few bucks and make easy money, without having to create your own products, website, or write a single ad copy.But Of course, you need a certain amount of knowledge in order to make large commission checks.

This is why internet affiliate marketing is a good starting point for newbies. It gives them the opportunity to work on their own hours, using other peoples efforts and resources, to gain profits while educating themselves in the same process.

Affiliate marketing is a learning process. This is where most of the people get the knowledge to make it big on other forms of business in the future. This is their starting point.Having said that, means you can do that too.

While engaging in internet affiliate marketing there are certain factors you need to understand before getting into one. Not considering these things can result to wasted time, resources and profits.

1. Find the target market.

To be successful in affiliate marketing, you must first identify and target your audience. This simply means offering people what they want and need. Many affiliates make the mistake of giving out these things to the wrong persons.

so can you guess the result in that case? No buyer and no sales for you. Why would people buy something they not need at all? Do you think people will be interested in you offering them affiliate marketing when they are into stock trading? Not many will be.

It is best to find your audience first to be able to maximize your resources and commissions.

2. The quality of your Affiliate product or service.
BE sure to promote quality products or services.don't just make the mistake of promoting a product or service, which does not deliver what it promises.Promoting a less quality product can bring you some sales,but it is not profitable in the long run. It is always wise to examine the product first before recommending it to others. Not only will this increase your credibility and sales, it will also help you promote better because you can give them personal feedback about the products.

3. The sales letter should be effective.

You must see the affiliate owner's website and sales copy before you send any traffic over to them. Look for important things like conversion rates and visitor values. This will prove critical once you get people to their site.

Put yourself in the customer's shoe.Think like a customer, Will you be willing to buy the product or getting their services? If you answer positive to this question then many people will be too.

It will be waste of resources and time if you discover later on that it has a poor sales copy and that it does not sell. Consider this first.

4. See if promotional methods and materials are available.

Most of the affiliate programs today provide their affiliates with ready made tools to be used in marketing. the more the tools given, the chances are for you to make sales.But it is also wise to make your own material.Why dont be unique in your marketing efforts.Let me tell you,the guru's make their own graphics,ads,articles etc, to promote someone's product or service.But if you are new to affiliate marketing,its ok to use the promotional methods

Since the materials are already made for you, you can focus more on the marketing. Having more tools also result to more opportunities to get the sales message through your customers effectively.

5. Know if your promotion has profitability.

The last thing you must consider is how much you will be paid, in relation to your promotional efforts. A higher commission percentage can be a huge motivation to place higher focus on a particular product.

Try to seek out products with a higher end pricing or those that present residual income. You would also want to profit based on the efforts you have put up to.

The tips above are just some of the important factors you must consider in internet affiliate marketing in order to become successful. If you would like to learn more about affiliate marketing, then I highly recommend that you download my FREE ebook.

Waqas Ali is the author of famous ebook entitled"affiliate marketer's handbook" which is full of informative content.You can download a FREE copy by visiting
http://www.netcadet-affiliate-marketers-handbook.blogspot.com

Home Business Tax Breaks

2007-10-09T20:10:00.001-07:00

Home businesses can be great tax shelters. Millions of Americans have some sort of office in their homes. If you are one of these lucky people and meet the IRS requirements found in IRS publication 587, you can take deductions for expenses related to the business use of part of your home.

If you want to know if you qualify the IRS requirements to claim expenses, you need to meet the following three tests:
Exclusively and regularly as your principal place of business.
Exclusively and regularly as a place where you meet or deal with customers
In connection with a trade or business.

If you qualify to claim expenses you may deduct a portion of the following:

Real estate taxes
Deductible mortgage interest
Depreciation
Insurance
Rent
Repairs
Security system
Utilities and services

Now why a portion? Well, you dont exactly use the whole house for a business so you need to determine how much of your house is actually used for your business. For example, say you have a regular 9 to 5 day job and decide to start an internet business. You do all your work for this internet business in your home office. As a basic example, lets say you have a house that is 1000 sq feet and your home office is 100 sq feet. Thats 10% of the total area of the house (100 sq feet / 1000 sq feet). Thus, you can deduct 10% of all valid expenses on your tax return. So, if your end of year utilities cost was $1200, you would be able to deduct $120 ($1200 yearly utility cost * 10% business percentage use of your house).

Be sure to keep accurate records of all your expenses. You must keep records that provide the information needed to figure your deductions for the business use of your home. You should keep receipts, bills, cancelled checks, credit card statements, and other evidence of expenses you paid. The IRS requires you to keep these records as long as they are important for any tax law; usually 3 years from the date your taxes are filed.

A home business can generate substantial tax benefits. If you do decide to start a business be sure to discuss your with your accountant. To learn more about the tax benefits of a home business, visit the Real Estate Owner websites section, http://www.real-estate-owner.com/home-business.html, which breaks down the tax breaks available to you.

Chris is a software engineer who has extensively researched real estaet related topics and maintains www.real-estate-owner.com which provides free real estate tax related information.

Investing in Penny Stocks

2007-10-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

People are generally interested in low price stocks because they can buy more shares for less money. Penny stocks are a low priced stock that generally sells for less than a dollar per share, however, a few types of penny stocks actually sell for less than five dollars per share. Penny stocks can also generally be categorized as small cap stocks. What this means is that the company that is offering the stock to the public has a market capitalization of less than $1 billion.

Buying penny stocks is just like buying any other type of stock. First you will need to research your options. Next you will need to set up an investment account with a stock broker or with an online stock trading service. Then you will need to fund your account. And finally you will need to enter your purchase request for the type of penny stock you want to invest in, as well as how many shares you want to buy.

Day trading is one way investors can maximize their gains by trading their stocks, whether they are penny stocks or regular stocks, on a daily basis. This form of short-term investing takes a lot of guts as short term performance of any particular stock can either swing up or down. People who day trade will buy a stock one day and then sell it when it gains as little as an eighth of a point. By doing this the investor makes a large return on their short term investment quickly. If you are interested in this type of investment activity it is a good idea to learn about the tax drawbacks of this form of income before you start buying and selling shares.

For expert web design and marketing options for your business visit the internet business promotion experts at Archetype Development. Visit the mobile office blog to see our story. For more financial information and resources visit the business directory

Wall Street to Main Street: News, Views and Commentary: May 11, 2006

2007-10-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

Its Thursday May 11, 2006, and as the street anticipated the Fed has raised the benchmark interest rate to 5% but the question that looms is what is going to happen in June. Though the Fed has hinted at a slow down aka a pause in interest rate hikes, we will not get a better idea until June. Chances are that the Fed has flipped the autopilot button off and will take that pause for a spell. But now that the Fed Factor is out of the way its time for companies to trade on their own merits.

Metals Mania is on fire, Gold is in the $700 range and continues to touch new highs on its way to $800, but as we have stated and continue to state on Wall Street to Main Street, do not forget about the other metals like Silver which is on its way to $20, Copper making new highs, Platinum, Palladium, Aluminum, Titanium which Airbus is stocking up on for production of their new aircrafts to satisfy the China contract that they have in place and other contracts that may come out of China and India, Aluminum and Zinc. I would put the periodic table of elements here but that would take all day.

Now Oil is not lacking in the upward movement as the tension in Iran is placing Crude Oil on a roller coast ride as it bumps up to over $72 a barrel on its way to $80.

Now on the topic of oil and natural gas, word is floating around that China is in a race to secure oil and natural gas for their country and may be looking at Florida for drilling opportunities. The area in question is the Gulf of Mexico south of Pensacola, Florida. This is also an area that Cuba is interested in, Cuba is limited with technology but have some cash in the till, they have aligned with companies in China, Spain and Canada. The world is just getting smaller and the U.S. should not underestimate any nation.

The NAMC Newswires Wall Street to Main Street segment in its entirety is only available to subscribers. Dont miss out and Keep in mind that all subscriptions are free and will remain that way. All that you need to do is go to www.namcnewswire.com and add your email address to receive the full segments. We value your privacy and all email addresses are only used for NAMC related items and not shared with any third parties.

We want to hear from our readers/listeners, so drop us a line, maybe you have a question about a certain company or perhaps you want to introduce us to a company that we should know about.. All that you need to do is either shoot us out an email using our contact form on our website at www.namcnewswire.com or give us a call toll free at 888-463-9237 between the hours of 6:30pm and 12am EST weekdays. Your question could be a part of the Wall Street to Main Street radio show that is syndicated daily.

Remember that you can always listen to the NAMC Radio on Streetiq.com, the leader in financial podcast. www.streetiq.com and is also available on iTunes.

For a listing of our Furious Five picks go to www.namcnewswire.com. To get them sent to you daily ahead of the Wall Street to Main Street radio show just signup at our website, its fast and its FREE.

Political Front

Israel said that it is willing to release part of the $50 million that it collects each month in Palestinian customs fees and taxes to help fund humanitarian relief programs for the region.

According to reports Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged cash bonuses to Russian women who give birth to two or more children, this is an effort to reverse what he says is the gravest problem facing contemporary Russia: a declining population. While China some years back had to stop the growth of the population, Russia is looking to beef it up. I wonder if well se a surge in Viagra sales in 2006.

The U.S. Treasury Department has once again rejected claims by US manufacturers yesterday and concluded that China is not manipulating the value of its currency to gain an unfair trade advantage. China is still looking to boost their Gold bullion reserves, which makes this very interesting.

Movers and Shakers

Some major movers in yesterdays trading session included Barret Bill Corp (NYSE: BBG) which traded up $5.74 to close at $36.60, Maidenform Brands (NYSE: MFB) which traded up $1.29 to close at $12.70, Navistar International (NYSE: NAV) which traded up $2.68 to close at $27.99, RTI International Metals (NYS: RTI) which traded up $7.23 to close at $77.65, Sunrise Senior Living (NYSE: SRZ) which traded up $3.06 to close at $35.41, Hansen Natural (NASDAQ: HANS) which surged again trading up $24.82 to close at $201.06, keep a close eye on National Beverage (AMEX: FIZ) as we see this as the next Hansen situation, Baidu.com (NASDAQ: BIDU) which traded up $$22.60 to close at $83.97 on its way to $100 so look for more upward movement this week, Iris International (NASDAQ: IRIS) which traded up $2.49 to close at $13.43 and Ecollege.com (NASDAQ: ECLG) which traded up $2.62 to close at $25.22, this is a booming business which we will touch on next week.

Analyst Upgrades/Downgrades

Recent Analyst upgrades include Broadcom Corp (NASDAQ: BRCM) which was upgraded to an Above Average from a Average by Carris & Co, Parlux Fragrances (NASDAQ: PARL) which was upgraded to a Strong Buy from a Buy by Wedbush Morgan, The Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ: CAKE) which was upgraded to a Buy from a Hold by AG Edwards and Symantec Corp (NASDAQ: SYMC) which was upgraded to an Outperfrom by Cowen & Co.

Recent Analyst downgrades include Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT) which was downgraded to a Hold from a Buy by Needham & Co, Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI) which was downgraded to an Underperform from a Hold by Jefferies & Co, and Rae Systems (AMEX: RAE) was downgraded to a Market Perform from a Market Outperform by JMP Securities.

Analyst Coverage Initiations include Akami Technologies (NASDAQ: AKAM) was initiated with a Peer Perform rating by Thomas Weisel Partners, Cobiz (NASDAQ: COBZ) was initiated with a Strong Buy rating by Raymond James and a $24 price target, Zions Bancorporation (NASDAQ: ZION) was initiated with a Market Perfrom rating by Raymond James and Ventiv Health (NASDAQ: VTIV) was initiated with a Buy rating and a $37 price target by Banc of America Securities.

Tid Bits

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) is looking to keep Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) from gaining ground as the company puts more focus on their core strength, Search. They are enhancing the searching capability of Google, which should thwart any rally from Yahoo and MSN as Google continues to take more search market share.

McDonalds (NYSE: MCD) to looking to get Hip as they are going to overhaul over 30,000 of their locations around the world. Discarding the hard plastic seating and replacing it with premium coffee, comfy seats and Wi-Fi Access. So if you havent figured it out yet they are going after the Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) market and offering all the pizzazz to go along with it. The only question that does come out is will this change have an impact on their current customer base. Only time will tell.

Archer Daniels (NYSE: ADM) is planning to meet the demand of the Ethanol boom as they are looking to build a new dry-mill ethanol plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that will allow the company to produce an additional 275 million gallons of the corn-based fuel each year. The professional car racing industry is taking notice as for the first time Ethanol fuel is being used in an Indy 500 car. The Indy Racing Leagues IndyCar Series has partnered with the ethanol industry to become the fuel supplier beginning with the 2006 season, including the Indianapolis 500. The Ethanol industry will sponsor the racing team that will feature Rookie Paul Dana as the driver, the car will be fielded by 1996 Indy 500 Champion Hemelgarn Racing.

Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) reported earnings yesterday and their Net income declined to $20.3 million, or 12 cents per share, from $27.4 million, or 16 cents per share, for the same period a year ago. Revenue grew 17 percent to $270 million from $231.3 million last year. The average analyst estimate was 15 cents a share. This was not one of our Furious Five companies that were featured on Wall Street to Main Street. We see American Eagle Outfitters (NASDAQ: AEOS) as being a better play in this sector, above Pacific Sunwear of California aka Pac Sun (NASDAQ: PSUN) and The Gap (NYSE: GPS). Pac Sun is scheduled to report earnings today but even if they beat the estimate, which may not happen, American Eagle is a better play. In certain strip malls that we visited the Pac Sun store was replaced with an American Eagle Outfitter store, as we mentioned on WSMS. Other companies that should be looked at include True Religion Apparel (NASDAQ: TRLG), G-III Apparel (NASDAQ: GIII), Under Armour Apparel (NASDAQ: UARM) and Crocs, Inc (NASDAQ: CROX), all featured on Wall Street to Main Streets Furious Five..

In the Spotlight

In a special Investors Corner Segment late yesterday we featured a company that we see being the next Hansen Natural Corp (NASDAQ: HANS). If you have followed Hansen you would know that in a 12 month time frame the stock went from the $30 range to where it closed yesterday at $201.06 and moving, now that is a Monster jump. Now for those that missed our views and outlook on National Beverage Corp (AMEX: FIZ) here it is once again.

For our outlook, and other vital information on the companies that we feature on "In The Spotlight" on Wall Street to Main Street just subscribe for FREE at www.namcnewswire.com

FURIOUS FIVE

This is the Fourth of our Furious Five companies that we see excelling in their industry in 2006. The fourth addition to this weeks Furious Five is Intervest Bancshares Corp (NASDAQ: IBCA) it trades on the Nasdaq under the symbol IBCA.

For our outlook, and other vital information on the companies that we feature as the "FURIOUS FIVE" on Wall Street to Main Street just subscribe for FREE at www.namcnewswire.com

We cannot stress enough that investors need to do their due diligence, call the companies, get the information, consult with your investment advisor and if you do not have one consider getting one. Put the same time into investigating these companies as you do when you go to purchase a new television, its only for your protection. When it comes to thinly traded securities stagger your orders or put a limit order in to avoid a run up.

NAMC Newswire Note

Go to the NAMC Newswire for updates at www.namcnewswire.com and you can listen to the NAMC Radio for the audio version of Wall Street to Main Street at www.namcnewswire.com/namcradio

To register to receive the Wall Street to Main Street Free Daily Newsletter Click Here or go to our site and click on the Newsletter section. www.namcnewswire.com/newsletter CEOs that want to contact us can do so by going to www.namcnewswire.com or call us at 888-463-9237.

Louis Victor NAMC Newswire 888-463-9237

Disclaimer: None of the information contained on the NAMC Newswire constitutes a recommendation by the NAMC Newswire, its journalist, nor its parent company that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction, or investment strategy is suitable for any specific investors or person. Each individual investor must make their own independent decisions regarding any security, portfolio of securities, transaction, or investment strategy featured on the NAMC Newswire or NAMC Radio Any past results are not necessarily indicative of future performance. The NAMC Newswire, its journalist nor its parent company does not guarantee any specific outcome or profit, and all investors should be aware of the real risk of loss in following any strategy or investments featured on the NAMC Newswire or the NAMC Radio. The strategy or investments discussed may fluctuate in price or value and investors may get back less than you invested. Before acting on any information featured on the NAMC Newswire website or the NAMC Radio segment, investors should consider whether it is suitable for their particular circumstances and strongly consider seeking advice from their own financial or investment adviser. Investors are also urged to do their own due diligence before investing in any security.

All opinions featured on the NAMC Newswire or NAMC Radio are based upon information that is considered to be reliable, but neither the NAMC Newswire, its journalist, its parent company, affiliates nor assigns warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. The statements and opinions featured on the NAMC Newswire by its journalist are based on their outlook at the time of the statement or opinion, and are subject to change without notice. NAMC may at times hold a position in the companies that it features, in these cases appropriate disclosure is made.

Louis Victor is the host of the syndicated radio show and financial newsletter "Wall Street to Main Street" which is featured on the NAMC Newswire Radio. He has been involved in the financial industry for over two decades, on the retail and investment banking ends. He is also well versed in the advertising and marketing industries, which has given him insight into market trends and unqiue companies that may be under the radar.

Investing the Right Way

2007-10-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

The world of investments offers a dangerous draw: huge rewards with the chance of terrible losses. Investors love the idea of accumulating wealth, but no one likes losing money. The trick is to know how to invest with minimal risk. Nobody can predict the fluctuations of the market completely accurately, but as you start investing, youll learn to take the losses and look forward to the next market high.

The market is uncontrollable, but it helps to know what youre investing in. Become familiar with the products and businesses you invest in before you make the jump. Too many new investors invest in a hot stock from the previous year, excited by the market high. Remember: market highs never last. Its smart to invest in a strong stock with a record than a trend thats in one year and out the next.

Just as important as the product is the reasoning behind your choosing it. If you know why youre investing in a stock, youll always know what your next move is. For example, if you invest for the sake of profits only, when prices fall youll know to drop out, instead of fretting over whether to wait and cross your fingers for the next market high, or cut your losses.

Investments are all about timing - not the timing of the market highs and lows, but the timing of your moves in relation to them. You have to know when to take profits and when to cut losses. Some say when the market is up, run a profit in case the market keeps climbing. However, others worry the market will fall, so its best to back out while youre up. When the market is low, everyone knows to cut your losses - back out before it gets worse.

Dont invest in what you cant afford, and dont invest without a good reason. While the market highs are satisfyingly rewarding, the market lows are part of the ride. Although much of investing is gut instinct, you cant afford to make reckless decisions. Invest to your advantage, rather than let the market rip at your bank account.

The best thing to do is study the market. Dont jump to invest before you study the products record and think over your reasoning. Some good books about investing include The Real Life Investing Guide by Kenan Pollack and Eric Heighberger, The Only Investment Guide Youll Ever Need by Andrew Tobias, and The Wall Street Journal Guide to Understanding Money and Investing (3rd Edition) by Kenneth M. Morris and Alan M. Siegel. Know what youre doing and why before you start investing.

When you make informed choices, you can gain many benefits from the market. The business world is unpredictable, but when the markets up, the rewards are well worth the gamble.

Alan Jason Smith is the owner of http://www.stinvestments.com which is a great place to find investment links, resources and articles.

For more information go to: http://www.stinvestments.com.

How The Value of Stocks Are Influenced

2007-10-09T17:59:00.001-07:00

A stocks value can change at any given moment, depending on market conditions,investor perceptions, or a number of other issues. When investors pour money into a company's stock, they do so because they believe that the company is going to turn a profit, and the company's stock will go up in value. However if the investors decide that the company's outlook is poor, and they don't invest, or if they sell the stock that they already own, then the company's stock price will fall.

Investors that purchase stock, believe that others will by the stock as well, and that the share price will rise. Investing is a gamble, but its nothing like betting on horses. a long shot always has a chance to win the race even if everyone else is betting on the favorite. But in the stock market, the betting itself actually influences the outcome. Should lots of investors bet on a particular stock, the price of the stock will rise. The stock becomes more valuable because investors want it. The reverse is also true, if investors sell their stock in a company, the stock will fall in value. The more a stock fall, the more investors will sell.

Some people just invest in stock to get a quarterly dividend payment. Dividends are a portion of the company's profits that are paid out to its shareholders. Lets say that if a company declares a annual dividend of $8 dollars a share, and you own 100 shares then you will have made $800 dollars a year, or they would be paid $200 dollars each quarter. The company's board of directors decides how large of a dividend the company will pay, or if it will pay one at all. Most of the time only large, mature companies pay dividends. Smaller companies need to keep reinvesting their profits in-order to continue to grow.

All stocks don't act alike. One of the basic differences is how closely a stocks value, or price, is tied to the condition of the economy. Cyclical stocks are the shares of a company that are highly dependant on the state of the economy. When the economy slows down, their earnings fall rapidly, and so dose the price of their stock. However once the economy recovers, a company's earnings will rise rapidly and their stock will go up.

To learn the truth about options trading and discover some useful options trading tips then visit: http://www.LearningOptionsTrading.com

Forex Online Training- Learning From Mohammed Ali

2007-10-09T17:30:00.000-07:00

Forex online training is much more than finding a successful strategy or trading technique that delivers consistent profits over time. In the sports world, the winners may have natural ability and talents, and/or superior strength, but not always!

What Makes The Difference

What often makes the difference? The individual's mind!

In the case of Mohammed Ali, his mental strength and mindset were what set him apart, in addition to his natural talent. Over the years in books and TV interviews he has revealed how he conditioned his mind before a match to give him a very high chance of success once he got in the ring.

Can we apply this to Forex online training? Absolutely. Consider how Mohammed Ali would prepare for a fight.

Mohammed Ali's "Future History" Technique

He once described in a TV interview how he would focus his mind on the actual experience of being there in the ring. He would feel the sensations, see the reactions, feel the punches, be aware of the sweat, the sounds, the sights, the flashes of the cameras.

He would rehearse the fight in his mind as if he were recording each moment. He gave this mental routine a name which life coach experts have since picked up. He called it creating a "Future History."

Once he had gone through the experience graphically in his mind, it was if he had actually lived it. So it was now history even though it was still future in actuality.

Ali also crafted some of his mental rehearsals into rhymes which he repeated often. A famous example the 1964 Sonny Liston fight: "Now Clay swings with a right - what a beautiful swing - and raises the bear straight out of the ring; Liston is rising and the ref wears a frown, for he cant start counting til Liston comes down."

How can this help with Forex online training?

The greatest battle the new Forex trader has to face is learning to control emotions and employ mental discipline.

Time and time again, the trader has a sound strategy, but allows other forces to de-rail the possibility of success.

The setup may be good, high probability, but the newer trader gets nervous when seeing price stall or hesitate which it often does. The newer trader exits the trade early when there was really no need and price went on to fulfill the profit target anyway.

On the other hand, the newer trader is also drawn into trades that are low probability, either through boredom, desperation to trade, or other factors.

Mental Discipline - The Crucial Factor

Mental discipline is the key to successful trading, in addition to a sound strategy.

So in addition to studying charts, patterns and technical indicators, thorough Forex online training must include a considerable amount of time and energy devoted to mind conditioning.

Using Mohammed Ali's experience, the Forex trader can also create a "Future History." In addition to seeing a high probability setup developing on the chart in the mind's eye, the newer trader can also be aware of his or her own physiology.

Play through a successful trade in your mind focusing on your own emotional feelings. See and feel yourself in a calm frame of mind, watching for a setup, identifying one, then almost mechanically entering an order with stops and limits correctly calculated and set.

Then run through your feelings as you see the trade successfully complete. Additionally, run through your feelings when you see a trade fail. In either case, your emotions should be controlled, neither ecstatic or frustrated or upset.

The successful trader knows the strategy works, that there will be wins and losses, and therefore does not react in an extreme way whatever the outcome.

Visualization With A Difference

One important point to note with Mohammed Ali and his "Future History" mental strategy. This is visualization but visualization with a difference.

Many life coach experts tell us to visualize an experience, seeing ourselves in the situation, playing it through.

A "Future History" is not seen from the outside. We do not see ourselves performing the action as if we were a bystander.

A "Future History" is lived. You are there in the experience, seeing, feeling, sensing all the various factors that influence Forex trading.

So if you have been involved with Forex online training and have yet to make consistent profits, pay attention to the mental aspect of Forex trading.

Perform mental rehearsals and develop the winning mindset that will eventually help you realize your financial goals through trading the Forex.

For a free pivot point calculator, Fibonacci calculator and the best free economic calendars click here:

http://www.vitalstop.com/Forex/tools.html

To learn how to preserve your mental and emotional resources in addition to your account equity click here:

http://www.vitalstop.com/Forex/Advisor/forex-day-trading-mental-equity.htm

How do you trade the non-farm payroll report? Read this:

http://www.vitalstop.com/Forex/Advisor/forex-strategy-non-farm-payroll.htm

Trading as a Home Business

2007-10-09T16:53:00.001-07:00

There is one other category of home business that offers outstanding earning potential and in many ways is better than any of the other business ideas weve covered so far. Its not for everybody, though, as there is some risk until you know what youre doing. But once you learn the right strategies and techniques the sky truly is the limit. What were talking about of course is TRADING.

Trading is a good business to consider for aspiring work-at-home entrepreneurs because it allows you all of the benefits that you want from working at home without some of the hassles that come along with owning a traditional business. These advantages include:

No employees to hassle with. Now or ever.
No products to create, develop, research, or stock.
No marketing strategies to develop.
No phone ringing off the hook constantly.
No set hours to deal with.
No unhappy customers to contend with.
You get the idea

Is trading for everybody? No, probably not. You have to be able to work by yourself with limited contact throughout the day. This means that you have to be something of a self starter. What if youre not a self-starter? Well, if you want it bad enough you will find ways of working around a problem like that. Become an active participant in an online trading forum, or find a local trader club to get involved with. Once you get successful, youll find that you have more time on your hands to do the kind of things you want to do (thinksemi-retirement.), and you might end up not minding the time you get to spend alone while working your trading business.

Active trading (as opposed to passive investing such as plopping some money into a mutual fund and hoping) is a skill thats part art, part science, part luck, and a lot of hard work. You must be disciplined and well organized, too. Theres an old saying that says if somethings worthwhile then its probably not easy. And even though thats definitely true about trading, dont be discouraged from trying because SUCCESSFUL TRADING CAN BE LEARNED!

In case you missed that last statement, let me say it one more time:

SUCCESSFUL TRADING CAN BE LEARNED!

Yep, thats right! Despite what you may have heard, read, or been told to the contrary, trading is a skill that can be learned by just about anyone. The great thing, too, is that once learned you can apply your trading skills to any market at any time. Stocks, commodities, Forexwhatever you like, they all follow the same basic rules and can be traded in similar ways.

So, lets say youd like to learn to trade, but have no idea where to start. What you need to do is find a good study course and spend some time studying. Most people will want to concentrate on just one type of market, especially starting out, so which market is right for you and how do you decide?

Although there are many factors that you need to consider when deciding which market to trade, it boils down to just a few criteria:

Money making potential
Flexibility of trading hours
Risk Control
Availability of critical information
Can you sleep at night

Without going through each criteria one-by-one for each type of market, Ill just make a quick statement: My own research has led me to the conclusion that the Forex market is the best overall choice given the above criteria. Forex trading has great money making potential since it offers leveraged positions, and the hours are infinitely flexible since it is traded 24 hours a day. Risk control is better in Forex than commodities because Forex brokers limit your risk to your account balance, while commodity trading can actually leave you owing money to your brokersometimes a LOT of money! And since the Forex is an electronically traded, decentralized market, there is a wealth of information to be obtained through the Internet, usually through your broker.

This article isnt designed to be an extensive primer on trading, but I did want to introduce you to the idea that trading, especially Forex trading, can be a great alternative to a standard work at home business. You can get more info on Forex trading at http://www.ForexProfitMentor.com

Ted writes about Internet and Home-Based Business at:

eBusinessMentor.com

Check it out for the latest on how to make YOUR Home-Based Business a Success! Sign up for a FREE E-Book!

Why Fall In Love With Your Stocks

2007-10-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

Falling in love is easy, but breaking up is so hard to do. After spending hours pouring over numerous trading opportunities, you've found the perfect stock that meets your criteria and place your trade. During the day, you check out the share price, either smiling when it moves up, or losing that grin when it moves lower.

While we can never admit it, sometimes buying a stock is just like falling in love. We spend a long time looking for that one special someone, we get excited with every call, and sad when we can't be with them. Our heart moves on an emotional roller coaster depending on how things went on our last date. Amazing how emotion controls us.

The problem is, when we fall in love, we overlook some of the things that would normally make us avoid either that person, or, in the case of stock market investing, a company. Before long, we're wondering how to get out without causing too much pain.

Don't fall in love with your stocks. Fall in love with your kids, your spouse and other aspects of your life, but do not fall in love with your stocks. If you want to be a successful investor, you need to remove the emotion from your trading. When you have exited your position, do a happy dance or pout if you must, but don't let any emotions cloud your ability to make decisions.

Your mind will follow your heart. It will tell you that you should hold when you should sell, and tell you to sell when you should be holding. Don't fall in love with your stocks.

Where 90% of traders get it wrong is that they convince themselves that if they are down 40% already, there will be a bounce soon. Naturally, there is a small bounce as the shorts cover their positions. This provides a small pop and now our investor is down only 30%. Now emotion sets in, and convinces our trader that the worst is behind them since the trend is moving higher. Problem is, after the bounce, there is often no buying pressure, and the share price tests recent lows, and heads lower, turning a bad situation into an even worse one.

Be smart. Don't fall in love with your stocks. Execute your plan, and then celebrate (either because you made some money, or because you avoided taking a larger loss).

Looking for an online otc financial newsletter? You'll find some great OTCBB listed profiles of up and coming companies. Learn more today at http://www.1source4stocks.com

Create a Forex Strategy That Will Provide Massive Returns

2007-10-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

Forex is a foreign-exchange currency market, where investors from all over the world buy and sell different currency pairs. The development of the Internet and computer programs have made it possible for people from all over the world to enter this multi-billion dollar market. But, most of them get caught up by the system. Start-ups with as much as $250 in their account are highly-likely to fail. If you want to invest in this market, you need a strategy. The goal behind a Forex trading strategy is to provide profit for the investor. The whole scheme is based on the idea of buying a given currency when it's undervalued and exchange it for another currency of normal or higher value. The difference will be your profit. This is a very simple strategy, but brings out the main idea of FX strategies.

No matter what type of strategy you apply, always remember that the chances of loosing are as real as the chances of winning. Be prepared to loose those money, but at the same time, do your best to be on the receiving end. Your strategy must be based on accurate and thorough studies of the market, up-to-date financial tools and information.

The big corporations that deal on the Forex market are able to make constant profits, because their strategies are made by professionals that have extensively researched the market, have special education and years of experience. Watch what large traders do and try to get some advices from them regarding the strategies available to you.

A Forex trading strategy must be influenced by the current economical and political news, situations and factors. You must follow the government issued reports, political news from all around the world, and economic trends in order to forecast the moves of the different currencies. Other strategies can be based on mathematical analysis of the forex charts for a given currency pair. The best idea is to combine both methods but no matter how good a given strategy is, unexpected events will always occur at one moment or another. Remember that its not the events the drive the market, but the anticipation of those events.

This is a two-sided market, as there are always two currencies that are involved, two different countries. Its the news about those countries that make the difference. The goal when investing in currency is to be holding a currency that increases in value relative to another currency.

Steve Gargin owns and operates http://www.forex-futures-investing.com

Online Forex Trading - 6 Common Errors That Will See You Lose

2007-10-09T15:48:00.001-07:00

If you are looking at online forex trading, in this article you will find some common errors that will see you lose.

Many of these are accepted ways to make a profit and you will see many writers give convincing stories that they will help you make money, but they wont.

Make these errors and you will lose, so here they are:

1. You can day trade and make money

Yawn. How many times do you see day trading touted as a way to make money?

All the time.

Fact is it does not work and cannot work, as its based on logic that is simply not correct.

Any experienced trader knows that short term volatility is random, within daily and hourly time frames.

If you cant judge where volatility will go in short time frames you cant get an edge or the odds in your favour.

So, if volatility is random how you can get the odds in your favour and make money?

You cant!

Dont believe me? Then consider this:

There are millions of traders in the market each day trading trillions of dollars and the huge majority are not looking at daily ranges.

Try and find a day trader with a real time track record of profit ( let me know when you do) as most are selling systems and not dumb enough to trade themselves.

Good story, but a great way to lose your money period.

2. You can use moving averages as a timing indicator

Really? This is a real gem.

How can you time entry with a lagging indicator?

Think I will stick to momentum indicators.

3. Brokers can make you lose

This is a story put around mostly by day traders who want to justify why they get stopped out.

Brokers hunt stops!

No they dont consider this:

The only participant with the potential to move a market and pick off stops by themselves is a central bank and even they dont achieve this every time.

A broker trying to pick stops in a market that trades trillions of dollars a day is laughable.

Dont fall for this story.

4. Currency trading is risky

A statement of the obvious!

To a degree this is of course true, but so to is life.

Crossing the road is risky, so do is driving a car, but there are two aspects to risk.

The market you are trading + your approach = Risk

You can make online forex trading as risky as you want, or you can control it by prudent money management and a sound trading method.

5. Paper trading and dummy accounts are useful

For what?

Big deal you can trade without money and place orders ( which is easy) but this is absolutley no use when you come to trade with real money.

It then becomes an emotional experience and the heat is on unlike in paper trading and you will feel very different.

Don't think that because you can paper trade successfully you will make money in the market.

5. You need to work at trading and gain experience

Why? Once you have a method thats it.

You just need to place your orders each day and thats it.

Experience does not make you a better trader.

Trading is not something that has to be constantly worked at once you have your method your all set.

There are many more misconceptions about being a forex trader but the above ones are very common and if you believe them you will lose.

FREE ESSENTIAL TRADER PDFs AND MUCH MORE

On all aspects of becoming a profitable trader including features, downloads and some great FREE Trading PDF's visit our website at http://www.net-planet.org/index.html

Basic Forex Trading - What Are Pips?

2007-10-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

If you are a forex trader, everything is usually about pips. For example, you might say, "I am up 35 pips for the day," or, "I made 127 pips on my last trade."

Although this sounds like a lot of fun, it would probably be helpful to explain what a pip actually is.

"Pip" stands for "percentage in point." Sometimes, people also refer to pips as "points." Basically, a pip is the smallest price unit for a currency. It is the last decimal point in every exchange rate or currency pair.

For most currencies, this means a pip is 0.0001. Therefore, if you bought USD/CHF 1.2475 and sold at 1.2489, you made 14 pips.

However, there are exceptions. One is USD/JPY. This currency pair only has two decimal places so that a pip is equal to 0.01.

Pips are very important because they are the basis by which a profit or loss is calculated.

What is a Pip Value?

Even when you utilize different currency pairs and deal with fluctuating prices, the pip usually remains the same. If the USD is the base currency, you divide the pip (which is usually 0.0001) by the exchange rate. If the USD is the quote currency, the pip value is always just one pip, such as 0.0001.

Therefore, if the exchange rate for USD.CHF is 1.2489, it goes like so:

0.0001 / 1.2489 = 0.0000800704

That probably seems like a small number, but remember that with forex trading, you can leverage small sums of money to move large amounts of currency. Therefore, it is entirely possible to make a profit off of such a small number.

For example, if your broker lets you trade with leverage of 100:1, you only need to put up $1000 to buy a standard lot of $100,000. You can see that trading in larger lots boosts the pip value so that your profit or loss is also affected, like so:

If you trade on $1000 in currency, your pip value is calculated thusly:

0.0000800704 X 1000 = $0.08 per pip.

This means that you have a profit of $112.14; not bad.

By the way... With forex trading, you don't invest in a single company or group of companies as you do with stocks or mutual funds, for example. Instead, you're investing in a particular national economy. You are pinning hopes on one nation's economic health versus that of another.

Therefore, fundamental analysis is very important. When trading currencies you need to know about the countries economic situation.

Visit 123OnlineTrading.com - Books, Tips and Advice to find more great information about online forex trading. Besides a large selection of free educational articles you can also find powerful books about online trading in general.

Other Resources: 123OnlineCurrencyTrading.com - Forex Trading Directory

Weekly Markets Thoughts - July 08, 2007

2007-10-09T14:42:00.001-07:00

What a lousy week for the North American Markets! It started well in the USA but went nowhere until the end of the week. If you had a week off, you did not miss a lot. Actually, when we have national holidays on the two sides of the border we are better to do so.

The stock markets closed higher than the previous week and should do well over the next couple of weeks. Dow is poised to break its all time high but wont go too far away. The coming week should give us a clue on whether it will reach 14000 before retreating or will keep the attack on the level for the fall action. NASDAQ is reaching its limits for now. The S&P TSX composite is boosted by the resources. Next target for it is 14550. This target is 7000 for FTSE 100 and 21000 for Nikkei 225.

Good run for the currencies! As previously mentioned, the Canadian dollar is the leader. Next week Bank of Canada is expected to increase its rate by .25 which in turn helped it to reach a 30yr high this week. It is well poised to achieve parity with the US$ and to go much, much higher. It could easily add additional 7-8 cents for a target of US$1.03 this summer. The British pound is targeting 2.03 and the Euro is going for 1.43. The Pound is completing a 15 years reverse head and shoulders pattern which is an extremely bullish outlook for the next decade.

The Resources are my favorite sector. Lots of money has been made there since 2001 and many opportunities will be available in the next decade as well. Presently, gold is still trying to find its way up. An important point to watch is 671.5 (August contract). A break trough it will lead us to a substantial run for the metal. Silver is trying to advance too. It has been a precursor of golds behavior in the past and its moves recently are very encouraging. Next week a 13.70 break (September contract) can signal a run up but it stays a low probability. We should eventually wait for another more week or so before getting a more clear reading of the move. Crude oil is doing great and is continuing to make its way up but I am expecting it to make a rest next week and not to advance too much.

Good investing and best regards,

Stefan Penkov

www.investinghelptoday.com

Disclaimer: Stefan Penkov is not a registered investment advisor. The opinions and statements made in the above publication are the result of extensive research and are believed to be accurate and from reliable sources. The contents are my current opinion only, further more conditions may cause my opinions to change without notice. The insights herein published are made solely for international and educational purposes. The contents in this publication are not to be construed as solicitation or recommendation to be used for formulation of investment decisions in any type of market whatsoever. WARNING share market investment or speculation is a high risk activity. Investors enter such activity at their own risk and must conduct their own due diligence to research and verify all aspects of any investment decision, if necessary seeking competent professional assistance.

Free Forex Trading Courses - Are They Worth It?

2007-10-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

There are some who will tell any investor that free Forex trading courses are just as good as any paid Forex course. Then there are some who will be adamant in saying the exact opposite. Finding out the truth that lies somewhere in the middle is not an easy task to accomplish. Before any prospective investor makes the final decision on any Forex trading courses, it is advisable to ask a few fundamental questions as the search continues.

Finding a good quality Forex trading course that is free is not impossible. A good source will provide information that is not readily found all over the internet. If the Forex trading courses include the information that comes up time after time in a search, that is the first red flag. The potential Forex trading course is not worth the time it will take to read it and practice some of the techniques. Leave it behind and keep researching until a suitable Forex trading course is located as this is the best defense against suffering a financial loss. There is not a bigger risk than that of starting out with an incorrect set of skills and knowledge as that pretty much cements in financial failure.

Forex trading courses that are given away free are done so for a reason. It is wise to find out that reason before committing any significant time or energy on them. The idea behind the free give away is to get a potential investor to sign up to that specific company. Finding out if that specific company will benefit your interests is the best move to make in this situation. A company that deals largely in futures trading will offer a Forex trading course as a trap to get investors to sign up. If Forex is what the mission is, settle for nothing less than strictly Forex brokerages or companies.

Don't take unnecessary risks when it comes to finding suitable Forex trading courses, as these are the mistakes that generate bad financial decisions later on. Ask questions about the free offer and why it is free. Do the research into any said company and find out if they are a exclusively Forex company or if their interests lie in another financial market. Most of all, if the free Forex trading courses are claiming that it can make you a millionaire overnight. Flag it! Move on because that scam won't get anyone further except the one who is collecting the money. Forex cannot give anyone independent wealth in a short time period especially to any investor who is new to the scene. Be diligent in seeking the answers to all questions and in dissecting the answers. It could be the very key to Forex financial success!

Troy Degarnham is the author and webmaster of http://www.forex-trading-brokers.info an informative website about Currency Trading.

Extensive help and tips on systems, software, signals, trading, forex brokers, forex trading courses, and other secrets to help you gain financial freedom.

How To Become A Millionaire In 8 Years Or Less

2007-10-09T13:36:00.001-07:00

Contrary to most people's experiences, the FOREX market is not a voracious "black hole" that seeks to swallow up your hard earned money. The FOREX market is simply a market like any other market, whether you are selling bushels of wheat, fresh fish, or currencies. It has no agenda to deprive you of your cash. It's just a harmless ol' teddy bear that needs to be cuddled and loved. And, if you learn to love it, it will love you back, and in very generous and tangible ways. On the other hand, if you are determined to think of it as your enemy, then you have no choice but to defeat it; and, of course, it will fight back. As any professor of quantum physics or spiritual leader will tell you, how you perceive a thing will determine how that thing will respond, it's a principle of cosmic proportion.

There are several features of the FOREX market that makes it extremely lovable to some and an enemy to others. One prominent feature, is the high degree of leverage it allows. Recently, a major broker has allowed accounts of up to one million dollars in size to be traded at 1:400 leverage. This ability to leverage and control a phenomenal amount of currency is, of course, a double-edged sword, depending, on what you do with it. What you should not be doing with it, however, is to directionally trade with it. Unless, you have a desire to be a FOREX martyr.

Another wonderful feature of the FOREX market is that some currency pairs have very strong opposite correlations. For example, the EUR/USD and CHF/USD historically travel in opposite directions; when one pair goes up, the other pair goes down. Consequently, if you buy certain quantities of both pairs, it is possible to keep your trades open day after day for months at a time, without ever having to set a "stop loss".

Finally, there is the wave characteristic of how currencies move. Actually the entire universe consists of nothing more than wave patterns. Currencies, like all things in the universe, rise and decline. It's even more predictable than death and taxes. This, of course, means that you should consistently be able to buy low and sell high, which of course is the secret to profitability in every market.

These three features allow for phenomenal opportunities to generate significant profit over the long term. It is quite possible for a trading system that capitalizes on these features to consistently double a trader's account annually. The key word here is "consistently". If you consistently generate 6% profit per month, compounding, in your FOREX account, your account size will double in a year. A trading system that consistently performs at this level will turn $5000 into approximately 1.2 million in eight years.

Is it possible to become a millionaire in eight years or less, starting with only $5000 in your account? Wouldn't you like to give it a try?

Trading Logic The Key to Making Huge Profits Fast

2007-10-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

If you trade any financial market, you will be aware that the majority of investors simply dont make money. Its not because they lack trading ability investors dont make money because they dont understand trading logic.

A focus on trading logic is essential for any trader who seeks to make money. Forget, opinions and emotions, and focus on the reality of the trading environment - you can then apply trading logic, to make huge profits consistently.

Here are some observations of trading logic, and how you can use them to your advantage.

The Market Price

Firstly, before we look at anything else, we need to look at what moves financial markets:

Supply and demand (fundamentals) + Investor perception = Market price

Therefore, prices are determined not just by supply and demand - but also by people. So, what does this trading logic tell us? - Predictive theories dont work, but odds theories do work.

There are lots of theories that claim markets move to a scientific theory - this isnt true - if they did, then everyone would know the price in advance - and there would be no market!

Correct trading logic tells us that while we dont know exactly where prices are going to go, we can calculate the odds of a move - by studying price history.

While human nature is unpredictable driven by the emotions of greed and fear, there are patterns that constantly repeat and this leads us to technical analysis.

Human Psychology Repeats Itself

Trading logic tells us that human psychology repeats itself - because we can see it in charts.

Although theres never a perfect scenario, we can calculate the odds of success of a trade - based upon what happened in the past. Therefore, by using a soundly based trading method, we can make money - over time.

Day Trading V Long Term Trend Following

From the above, trading logic tells us that day trading is futile. Why? - Because human nature is very unpredictable over short-term time spans. Human nature only becomes predictable over long-term time spans. Look at any currency, (or any financial instrument over time) and youll see long-term trends - and theyre the ones you need to focus on.

Emotions are a Traders Worst Enemy

Traders hate to trade alone - they constantly seek opinions, and success, from someone else. As the bulk of traders get it wrong, they step into the trading majority and find themselves caught up in a losing mentality.

The only way to trade successfully is in isolation - using trading logic to look at the facts, not what others think.

Trade Entry and Exits

Trading logic tells us that market timing is futile. Why? Because you cannot predict - and thats what market timing tells us to do. Therefore, you should follow market action - rather than try and predict it. This means leaving top and bottom picking, to the losing majority.

Money Management

As were playing an odds game, money management is essential we must be constantly trying to preserve our capital.

If you lose 50% of your capital, you have to make 100% on your next trade, just to get back to even - so try not to lose money in the first place! This is of course difficult - and involves doing two things:

1. Only trading when the odds are heavily in your favour - and in many markets, this means trading only a few times a year.

2. Taking enough risk - so you arent stopped out of your trade, by normal market volatility.

Risk and Reward

Trading logic tells us that risk is a combination of the following factors:

Market volatility + Trading methodology + Money management = Risk of trade.

This complex interaction is much more than setting a stop, or allocating 2% of capital to a trade - which is the way most traders view it. It involves seeing risk in a different light.

Some trades you make may look risky - but if you have balanced the equation correctly, the odds will be on your side.

Trading Logic

There are many other examples of trading logic, that we can look at - but the above covers the most important areas.

To make money, you need to see the markets, and their behaviour, as they are - not how you want to see them.

Dont make the same mistake as the majority of traders. Instead, think logically, and without emotion - and it will lead you to huge long-term gains.

New! A valuable FREE Currency Trader CD containing 9 critical trading reports, tips, strategies and currency trading info. Visit our web site now and grab your CD http://www.tradercurrencies.com

The Effect The Current Subprime Loan Crisis Has On Global Markets

2007-10-09T12:30:00.001-07:00

"Why is it, that the subprime loan crisis has such a rippling effect on many sectors of the economy?"

"Why are even companies outside the USA also affected by the U.S. mortgage crisis?"

In the last 7 days I received lots of emails from my subscribers asking me questions like these, and I'd like to take the opportunity to explain what this housing, mortgage, subprime loan, credit crisis - whatever you want to call it - and the present situation is all about.

Between 2002 and 2004 the interest rates in the United States were as low as never before. At least as far as I can remember. I'm not that old yet! The effect of such low interest rates was a real-estate boom in the U.S. often financed with so-called subprime loans. These are loans given to borrowers who do not qualify for the best market interest rates because of their deficient credit history.

Subprime lending encompasses a variety of credit instruments, including subprime mortgages, subprime car loans, and subprime credit cards, among others. The term "subprime" refers to the credit status of the borrower (being less than ideal), not the interest rate on the loan itself.

But banks didn't worry too much about this because interest rates were low and simultaneously, real-estate prices were rising continuously in the 90's.

So back in 2002/2004, anyone that could count to 3 was given a loan. Many people in America were suddenly able to afford expensive single family homes and other kind of real-estate that they couldn't before.

But in 2006 the U.S. interest rates had tripled and now, especially the subprime borrowers couldn't pay their monthly installments anymore. So more and more of these subprime loans started to crumble.

But that's not all. Some banks and other financial institutionals converted millions of these subprime loans into bonds. These were then sold for billions of dollars to banks, insurance companies and mutual funds that assumed this to be a secure investment because bonds usually are. That's why they're also considered a safe haven in stormy times.

And not only were these bonds sold to U.S. institutionals, but International ones too. You see, in a nutshell, everyone invests everywhere. America invests in Europe, and Europe invests in America, etc, etc.!

So you can imagine what happened when these loans started to crumble and the practice of converting them into bonds backfired. It all swept over the borders of America into other countries as well. The German industrial bank IKB invested 13 billion dollars in these bonds and now they are looking at a $5 billion loss.

For years this subprime game turned out all right and gigantic amounts of cash were invested into real-estate in Florida, Delaware or Texas by U.S. and international equity markets. No one thought that so many borrowers would go broke at the same time.

According to the U.S.Federal Reserve, loans of up to 100 billion dollars could bounce. At the same time, this seems to just be a drop in the ocean considering the effect it could have on international capital markets.

These bad loans could be the biggest single risk for the global economy. In the past, many in America spent their money stout-heartedly thus, stimulating and cranking up the economy. Their houses became worth more and more and banks literally threw loans at customers with low interest rates.

This could all backfire now putting a lot of pressure on the U.S. economy, because the money that was spent so generously is now being held back. Also because borrowers that are now up to their ears in financial troubles can't spent anymore money because there simply is none left to spend. This, in turn, takes a lot of liquidity out of the markets.

Also companies and corporations that have nothing to do with the current real-estate turmoil are drawn into the subprime crisis. If they want new capital from banks, they have to pay higher interest rates as an additional premium for risk. Or, taking things into extremes, they won't get a loan at all making it difficult for companies to grow, especially if a company wants to merge with another which often costs billion of dollars. This all drops out now thus, reducing earnings and profit outlooks.

And there's another, equally bad effect on all companies. whether attached to any real-estate or not. Hedge funds bought these converted mortgage bonds by the millions and very often using margins i.e. buying on borrowed money. And now they are sitting on a huge heap of losses and debt. In order to pay back those debts they have to sell stocks, commodities and other equity. And this obviously pushes prices down. Also stock prices. It's like a chain reaction.

And that's basically the reason why the markets around the world are in such shambles right now.

Back at the trading floor, for Bullish trading the best hope for continued long trading is in turnarounds and bounce backs. Rather than hold your breath and open new long trades why not take the Bearish pat and trade puts or stand on the side lines for a time?

Is my trading bias still Bullish? In the short-term no. In the mid and long-term, yes. So I'm definitely not opening any new long trades right now. But in the future, we'll be looking at plenty long trade opportunities. That's the good side of it all!

Yours in Successful Trading,

Ricky Schmidt

http://www.stockbreakthroughs.com

Are Your Credit Score Or Credit Problems Keeping You From Investing In Real Estate?

2007-10-09T11:58:00.001-07:00

Do you have poor or no credit? Have you been turned down for a real estate loan? Are you interested in real estate investing but don't have the credit score or the cash that lenders require? If you have one of these problems then real estate investing is still possible, but you may have to be a little creative. There are several ways that you can invest in real estate without having to use your credit score or cash.

One of these ways is to find a partner who will meet the lending requirements. This could be someone who has the credit score or the down payment that you require. It may be as simple as having a cosigner for a loan. Another way is to flip a house using a double closing. This method is usually not preferred by lenders, and some will not even consider a loan if there is a double closing. Some lenders also have seasoning requirements, and these requirements basically require the seller to own the property at least six months before the sale. This is not a law, however, and many lenders do not have these requirements. There is nothing illegal about finding a buyer for real estate and then finding real estate for sale that meets the needs of the buyer. This is usually done with the purchasing funds being put into escrow. The real estate investor profits to the amount of the price difference in the selling price and the purchasing price without ever using any of their own funds, and there are no checks on the investor's credit.

Subprime financing is another method available to real estate investors whose credit scores are not high enough or who may not have the required down payment. There are national lending companies who normally will provide a loan for up to seventy percent of the value of the property without verifying a down payment or needing high credit scores. The interest rates on these loans may be a little higher because of the risks involved for the lender.

A lease option is another great way to invest in real estate no matter what your finances or credit score are. This involves finding real estate for sale and then having the owner sign a lease stating all the relevant facts. The lease should specify that you have the right to purchase the specific property for the intended length of time for the specified amount. You then go out and find a buyer for the property within the lease time frame. None of the money is from your pocket and your credit is never even checked. You make the price difference between the buying price and the selling price.

No matter which method you use to invest in real estate with no credit checks or money down, it is possible to invest in real estate with these issues.. Don't let these two things stop you from your investment potential. You simply need to be a little more creative to find a solution to your investing obstacles.

Joel Teo writes on various financial topics including Las Vegas Real Estate . Learn about Las Vegas Real Estate Investment at http://www.RealEstateInvestment101.info.

The "M" in CANSLIM

2007-10-09T11:25:00.001-07:00

What does the M in CANSLIM stand for?

According to William ONeil, it represents the market and direction it is heading in. Over the past several months, you have listened to me write about the M in CANSLIM almost every single week. Some of you have wondered why I put so much emphasis on this one letter in the CANSLIM acronym. It is very important to understand and recognize what type of market you are in before you ever make a stock purchase or place a large position. If you dont know if the current market is a bear, a bull or if it is trading sideways, how can you realistically make money and set goals based on a blind strategy. Markets trade in trends and 75% of all listed stocks will follow the general direction of the major indices which include the NASDAQ, the DOW and the S&P 500. If the market health is poor and a bear market has developed but you dont know about it because you havent assessed the health of the M, you may lose money by placing a long position in a stock. The stock you buy may have a nice chart pattern and excellent fundamentals but it may come under pressure due to the general market weakness and sector weakness. The same can be said in a bull market: a stock that is sub-par may perform strongly and give the investor solid gains due to sector strength and overall market strength. Study the market and you will see that stocks move in groups and most of the stocks in a strong industry will move in tandem (up). The same holds true for weak markets; if you own a stock in an industry that is starting to churn or breakdown, it may be wise to pull in a potion of you position to lock in gains. More times than not, the strongest stock in an industry group must conform and move in the direction of the others. A perfect example can be the home builders, they have moved in tandem for the past five years. If you look at their weekly charts for the past several years, you will see that they all have the same patterns but with different numbers.

I trade based on two major criteria: a strong up-trending market (a bull market) or a market that has reversed to breakout and follow-through telling us that the M in CANSLIM is gaining strength.

Second, I use the daily new high and new low ratio (NH-NL) to compliment the overall strength that the market is presenting. The price and volume alone can fake out many investors and lead them down the path of faulty investing. In order for the market to be strong, the NH-NL ratio must compliment the general outlook and present us with at least 500 new highs per day on a consistent basis. When both the NH-NL ratio and the M in CANSLIM are strong, we can justify placing larger positions and labeling the market as healthy. William ONeil, the founder of Investors Business Daily, states that many of the best stocks over the past 50 years have made their advances when the overall market was strong, not weak. The NH-NL ratio is always comprised of the strongest stocks in the current market and we know that these individual leaders are responsible for the bulls and the bears.

How can an investor monitor the market action to tell if it is weak or strong?

As mentioned above, the first thing to look for is a breakout of one or more of the major indices with volume greater than average. Next, I look for the daily new high/new low ratio (NH-NL) to be entering new high territory and reaching new highs of 500-1,000+ stocks per day. In 2005, we have not had one day exceed 1,000 new highs to date (October 22, 2005 almost 10 complete months of trading). In 2003, we had several instances when this number was reached multiple times in one single week. In 2003 we were in an obvious bull market and in 2005 we are in an obvious sideways market. On a side note: Sideways markets are typically tougher to trade than a market that is trending in one direction, whether it is up or down. Sideways markets whipsaw investors up and down and typically cause frustration that leads them to make poor decisions. It may be wiser to sit in cash during an extended sideways market because you will never know if the market will be up or down the next day. In bull markets, stocks move higher and in bear markets they move lower and a trend can be targeted but sideways markets provide us with many head fakes!

During bear markets, the strongest stocks that propel the market back to the bull side will typical have the strongest relative strength ratings when everything is weak and investor confidence is low. These stocks will become the new leaders and will typically emerge from a few specific industry groups that are gaining strength. When the market reversal happens, the first 10-15 weeks will be crucial as the biggest winners will breakout during this time. It is not to say that additional winners cant breakout after the first 15 weeks of a new up-trend but the odds decrease and your risk rises. When the follow-through occurs in the market, you must see an increase in market volume from the previous day and substantial price advances that equal or exceed 1%-2% for the NASDAQ, DOW or S&P 500. When we see two or more of the indices follow-through on the same day, it increases the validity of the new up-trend.

Markets typically top after a prolonged period of higher highs and the first sign of a possible climax run or topping of the NH-NL ratio. If the market starts to make new highs on large volume but it is not moving as high as it was during the entire length of the up-trend, it may be topping. If price progress is poor and the volume continues to increase, the market may be churning or topping. I will immediately turn to the NH-NL ratio to gage the strength of the individual leaders to give me a glace at the broad market strength. One of the biggest black eyes that an investor can receive is during the topping of a long bull market where they made extensive gains and have emotions that are telling them they are genius. If an investor ignores the M in CANSLIM and holds their winners while the market tops and then starts to decline, their gains will be erased quicker than they were accumulated and their egos will be shot. When red flags appear, such as moving average violations, support levels sliced and the decline of the NH-NL ratio, it is time to lock in profits and move to cash until things settle and you can figure out what is happening.

Never listen to personal opinions on the market offered by talking heads because they are usually wrong or dont understand the key factors that decide if the market is going up or down. It is most important to understand the exact condition and health of the market today rather than trying to predict where it will be in 6-12 months. Is it currently up-trending, moving sideways or down-trending? When you understand this last question, your trading results will improve dramatically. You could be the best stock selector in the world but that doesnt mean anything if you buy and sell during the wrong time because you dont study or understand the M in CANSLIM. Always know the exact direction, health and conditions of the M in CANSLIM before you ever put on a trade.

Remember, you could be right in every aspect of your stock analysis but if you are wrong about the direction of the market, you will most likely lose money.

Chris Perruna - http://www.marketstockwatch.com

Chris is the founder and president of MarketStockWatch.com, an internet community that teaches you how to invest your money with solid rules. We offer an extended no obligation monthly trial period starting immediately with two free weeks. We don't stop at just showing you our daily and weekly screens, we teach you how to make you own screens through education. Through our philosophy, you will be able to create your own methods and styles to become successful.

The Top Ten Tax Mistakes That UK Expatriates Make

2007-10-09T11:07:00.001-07:00

1) Not establishing yourself as non resident from your departure

It sounds pretty obvious but unless you give up your UK residence you'll still be within the scope of UK taxes. In order to give up your UK residence status the best way is to move abroad permanently. This would entail selling or leasing (on a long lease if possible) your UK property, acquiring property overseas, transferring as many UK investments etc overseas and restricting UK visits. You should also ensure that you're non resident for at least three tax years. Other ways include going abroad under a full time contract of employment that will last at least a complete tax year or going abroad for a settled purpose.

2) Not paying enough attention to timing Ideally you should wait until the tax year after you leave the UK before realising any gains or receiving significant income. This way you'd be outside the scope of UK taxes on most income. There's no point leaving the UK in September and then selling assets in December at a substantial gain. The UK Revenue would usually still look to tax the gain even though you left the UK before the disposal. In this case wait until the following 6 April to crystallise the gain. If you needed to delay the disposal you'd be looking at using conditional contracts or cross options to ensure the disposal date was after the beginning of the new tax year.

3) Not establishing non UK domicile status If you're looking to avoid UK Inheritance taxes establishing non UK domicile status is crucial. A UK domiciliary is deemed to be domiciled in the UK for three years after leaving the UK, but after this date in these circumstances it is generally advisable to establish non UK domicile status as soon as possible. This would also help to protect the position if you needed to come back to the UK for any reason (eg medical care etc)

4) Spending too much time in the UK If you spend either in excess of 183 days in the UK in any tax year or average over 90 days in the UK on average over four tax years you will be classed as UK resident. It's frequently this last time limit that is exceeded.

The Revenue have recently confirmed that they will still be applying these time limits as there have previously been a couple of Commissioners' decisions that cast a shadow of doubt over whether they would still apply. However the Revenue have made it clear that just abiding by the daily requirements on their own isn't sufficient to avoid being classed as UK resident. You would need to ensure that you followed step 1 above to make yourself non UK resident. If you still had the UK as your main 'home', even though you spent less than 90 days per tax year here you'd still be classed as UK resident.

5) Not establishing treaty residence overseas In order to safeguard your non residence position it's always a good idea to get yourself classed as treaty resident overseas. This of course assumes that the country you are planning to be a resident of has a tax treaty with the UK.

Most 'standard' tax treaties would include a provision along the lines of this (which is taken from the UK-Cyprus treaty):

'... (1) For the purposes of this Convention, the term `resident of a Contracting State` means any person who, under the law of that State, is liable to taxation therein by reason of his domicile, residence, place of management or any other criterion of a similar nature. (2) Where by reason of the provisions of paragraph (1) of this Article an individual is a resident of both Contracting States, then his status shall be determined in accordance with the following rules: (a) He shall be deemed to be a resident of the Contracting State in which he has a permanent home available to him. If he has a permanent home available to him in both Contracting States, he shall be deemed to be a resident of the Contracting State with which his personal and economic relations are closer. (b) If the Contracting State with which his personal and economic relations are closer cannot be determined, or if he has not a permanent home available to him in either Contracting State, he shall be deemed to be a resident of the Contracting State in which he has an habitual abode. (c) If he has an habitual abode in both Contracting States or in neither of them, he shall be deemed to be a resident of the Contracting State of which he is a national. (d) If he is a national of both Contracting States or of neither of them, the competent authorities of the Contracting States shall determine the question by mutual agreement...'

Therefore, essentially, if you fail to be classed as resident according to both the UK and overseas tax rules you should be looking to establish yourself as having a permanent home overseas.

6) Failing to adequately plan for the overseas tax regime Essentially this is the 'out of the frying pan and into the fire' scenario. There's no point leaving the UK to avoid high rates of income tax, and moving to Spain for example which can have even higher rates of income tax (although lower rates of CGT). Therefore ensure you know exactly which UK taxes you are keen to avoid/minimise and research the overseas jurisdiction to ensure that you really can achieve that tax saving.

7) Assuming that all assets will be outside the scope of CGT when you're non resident This is a common mistake. You leave the UK, become non UK resident/ordinarily resident and plan to sell your UK business free of UK tax. Unfortunately the CGT rules would still tax any gain arising from a UK branch or agency trade. Essentially this means that most UK sole trader or partnership businesses would still be within the scope of CGT even if you were non UK resident. A common way to get around this would be to incorporate the businesses and sell the shares. This would then not be classed as a gain from a UK branch or agency trade.

8) Using UK companies to establish businesses which retain profits within the UK tax net Unlike the above, using a UK business can be disadvantageous in terms of ongoing profits. If you ran a business as a sole trader you could personally move overseas and providing the business was not carrying on a trade in the UK via a permanent establishment there should be no UK tax to pay. This means if you established residence in a zero tax haven eg Monaco or Andorra you could escape tax completely.

By contrast if you used a UK company you'd be subject to UK corporation tax even if you were non UK resident. You could extract cash from the company free of tax, but the actual profits of the company would be subject to UK tax.

Therefore if you're planning on becoming non UK resident you may want to think twice about using a UK company to run a non UK business (eg an internet trading business).

9) Not considering the NIC position Most people moving abroad only think about the tax implications. However NIC can also be important particularly where you go to work overseas.

As a general rule there is a requirement for an employer to pay Class 1 NIC's, on salary for the first 52 weeks you are working abroad. However this will depend on your employer having a place of business in the UK and you being UK ordinarily resident. If you can get yourself classed as non UK ordinarily resident you may be able to get exempted from the NIC requirements. This will therefore depend on whether you are paying regular visits to the UK, whether you still retain a property here, how long your absence will be for and whether you will return here after working overseas.

10) Not notifying the Revenue This can be costly. You should let them know on a form P85 and also complete your self assessment returns on the basis of your non UK resident status (ie complete the residence supplementary pages). If you don't you won't be receiving your tax returns and unless you elect to file online you'll be racking up penalties for not filing returns. If you are non UK resident and have no UK taxable income you should write to the Revenue asking them to amend their self assessment records.

Lee J Hadnum is a rarity among tax advisers having both legal & chartered accountancy qualifications. After qualifying as a prize winner in the Institute of Chartered Accountants entrance exams, he went on to become a Chartered Tax Adviser.

He previously ran his own his own tax consulting firm, and has written a number of tax books as well as editing the popular tax planning website www.wealthprotectionreport.co.uk.

For a limited time, Lee is offering a Free report on Offshore Teleworking from his Offshore Tax Site wealthprotectionreport.co.uk Wealth Protection Report offers a wide variety of information on tax matters including, Capital Gains Tax, Inheritance Tax and UK Emigration.

How The DOW Is Often Misused As An Indicator Of Likely Returns On An Individual Stock Investment

2007-10-09T10:18:00.001-07:00

Every asset class at some time or other has its day in terms of being the investment that offers returns superior to all other types of assets. Real estate, gold, fine art, fixed income instruments such as bonds, even in recent times the so-called alternative assets of private equity and hedge fund investments can be kings of the hill. However, over any very long period of time measured in decades, all the evidence suggests that investing in stocks - equity stakes in publicly traded companies - is the best way to achieve real inflation-beating returns.

It is typical of writers in the investing genre to use the statistical history of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (the Dow) to indicate the wisdom of investing in stocks. At first blush, the choice of this index may appear to be strange, given that it contains just thirty stocks (out of many thousands of publicly traded companies) whereas broader indices such as the Standard & Poors (S&P) 500 and the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index cover much more broadly-based groupings of stocks. However, the general usage of the Dow in this way reflects both its longevity, (it has been around for one hundred and eleven years now and has been a thirty-stock index since 1928), as well as its general acceptance by investors, the media and the general public.

When someone remarks that the market is up 35 points today, they do not mean that the S&P 500 is up by that amount, nor the NASDAQ 100, nor certainly the Wilshire 5000. If the market is up 35 points then you can be sure this refers to an increase that day in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It is precisely for this reason that the use of the Dow, whatever weaknesses it may have in other ways, makes perfect sense as a day-to-day gauge of what the market is doing. In effect, precisely owing to this level of acceptance, the Dow is the most logical index to use to act as an indicator on movements within the market overall because, to all intents and purposes, the Dow is the market.

This general acceptance and longevity have the additional effect that the Dow is consistently used as a market proxy by investment writers wishing to demonstrate how over very long periods of decades and more investing in stocks has been the smartest investing practice. This is especially well illustrated by showing the upward advance of the Dow in graph form. The message is clear there is an obvious ever onward and upward progression of the index. This can be used to bolster the argument, very typically used by writers on investing, that if you had bought stocks say in November, 1972, when the Dow closed above 1,000 for the first time, then your investment would have been worth over thirteen times that initial investment in 2007 with the Dow today at well above the 13,000 level.

Leaving aside the fact that during the 35 years from 1972 to 2007 inflation would have eaten up a large portion of the nominal gain, (but also on the flip side the fact that over the same period dividend payouts would have made up a good part of any losses from inflation), our argument that the use of the Dow by investment writers in this way is misleading hinges on the fact that the Dow is itself in no way an immutable index. It is subjected to a kind of regular housecleaning by the editors of the Wall Street Journal who every few years bring into the Dow Jones Industrial Average companies that are dominant in the economy of the day, and throw out those that are not considered dominant enough, either generally or in their own industry sector. Therefore, they ease out the old-economy, smokestack, buggy-whip making has-beens of yesteryear, and replace them with the zippy bright new-economy stars in growth mode. This process over time can clearly be demonstrated by comparing the make-up of the Dow at the time that it first closed above 1,000 in 1972 and the make-up of the index today.

Then: Allied Chemical; Aluminum Company of America; American Can; American Telephone & Telegraphic; American Tobacco; Anaconda; Bethlehem Steel; Chrysler; DuPont; Eastman Kodak; Exxon; General Electric; General Foods; General Motors; Goodyear; International Harvester; International Nickel; International Paper; Johns-Manville; Owens-Illinois Glass; Procter & Gamble; Sears, Roebuck & Co.; Standard Oil of California; Swift & Co.; Texas Corporation; Union Carbide; United Aircraft; U.S. Steel; Westinghouse Electric; Woolworth.

Now: 3M Company; ALCOA; Altria Group; American International Group; American Express; AT&T; Boeing; Caterpillar; Citigroup; Coca-Cola; DuPont; Exxon Mobil; General Electric; General Motors; Hewlett-Packard; Home Depot; Honeywell International; Intel; IBM; Johnson & Johnson; JP Morgan Chase; McDonalds; Merck; Microsoft; Pfizer; Procter & Gamble; United Technologies; Verizon; Wal-Mart Stores; Walt Disney Co.

These different renderings of the Dow Jones Industrial Average demonstrate that the use of the index as if it is unchanging and somehow carved in stone can be misleading. The use of the index as a statistical proof of the history of the market is in truth compromised by the regular changes in its component parts. Yet it is convenient for those writing on long-term investing strategies to use the progress of the Dow over many years to demonstrate not just the general upward trend in the market over time, which is a fact, but much more tenuously that of individual stocks comprising the market.

Should a writer voice the opinion that an investment in the market in 1972 would be worth thirteen times that investment today, he or she would be ignoring the fact that any return would depend on which stocks had been selected for investment back in 1972. Buying into the market at that time could involve purchase of Dow component stocks that later did well, Dow component stocks that later did badly and are no longer part of the Dow and of course for the most part it would probably realistically mean investment in stocks that were not part of the Dow index then or now. Indeed, exactly the same issue would arise for a broader index such as the S&P 500 which is also constantly refreshed by additions of fast-growing companies and demotions of slower-growing ones. Moreover, companies that are acquired by larger, more successful companies are deleted and always replaced in the index by promising up-and-comers.

A straight comparison of an index at one point in time with the same index decades later masks the significant rotations of sectors within the overall market that are always taking place. Developments in technology, lifestyle choices and general business and consumer trends are subject to changes that can be cyclical in nature, as certain industries or companies and their products come in or out of prominence. Management miscues, competitive developments or even legal liabilities, (did we hear someone say Asbestos?) can also lay low a stock that looked promising at the time of investment and can make its performance over time very different from that of what is being referred to as the market.

The only way that comparisons of indices over many years as a measure of investment performance can truly be considered accurate is for the investor who puts his/her money into a market index fund which is managed to replicate the movements of the index on which it is based. Otherwise you really cannot directly extrapolate from the historical trend lines of any index, including the key Dow Jones Industrial Average, the likely success of any individual stock in which you may choose to invest over the very long-term. Put bluntly, individual stocks potentially have a shelf life and are perishable, even though the overall market over time may go marching on.

This article was written jointly by Aidan J. McNamara and Martha A. Brozyna

Aidan McNamara is associate publisher at The Deal LLC in New York, publisher of the weekly financial magazine The Deal as well as The Daily Deal and TheDeal.com. He holds an MA (with distinction) in Area Studies (Eastern Europe and Russia) from the University of London, 1981 and a BA in German from the University of Manchester.

Martha A. Brozyna received a Ph.D. in history from the University of Southern California in 2005 and a BA in history and political science from Rutgers University where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1995.

McNamara and Brozyna are the authors of Contrarian Ripple Trading: A Low-Risk Strategy to Profiting from Short-Term Stock Trades, scheduled for publication by John Wiley & Sons in October 2007. Martha Brozyna published Gender and Sexuality in the Middle Ages: A Medieval Source Documents Reader in 2005 (McFarland & Co.)

The authors have additional information on themselves and their forthcoming book at their website http://www.ridetheripples.com

A Financial Analysis of Archer-Daniels-Midland Company

2007-10-09T10:17:00.001-07:00

As the food industry has recently posted 52 week highs, many investors may wonder if there are any companies relative to this type of service which offers a good opportunity to accrue capital gains. After examining each company relative to this industry, I have found one company, Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) to be supportive of the proper fundamentals when juxtaposed to its rivals. Thus, coupled with a good economic situation, Archer-Daniels, at its cheap price, absolutely has the figures to help investors make an intelligent investment.

Looking at what exactly Archer-Daniels does, according to Yahoo! Finance, this company engages in the procurement, transportation, storing, processing, and merchandising of agricultural commodities. When looking at this statement, some investors may be wary that commodities as of late have not sustained the growth found in previous years. While such a statement is true to an extent, such evidence tends to be more favored for commodities relative to the energy sector (i.e. crude oil). In terms of commodities more prominent to the business Archer-Daniels engages in, commodities such as soybeans, corn, and even livestock and pork bellies, have all done fairly well in the past few months, signaling strong demand for these products from both producers and consumers. Especially in the case of corn, since ethanol production still remains a top energy substitute in the future, the Corn Processing segment of this company will also tremendously benefit from the rising prices. To make matters even more lucrative, because such commodities are typically inelastic goods, when the price of such commodities rise during times of inflationary periods, consumers and producers will continue to purchase the goods in similar quantities, regardless the price, adding extra revenue service to companies like Archer-Daniels. In addition, because the prices still tend to remain relatively high as inflationary pressures continue to urge Federal Reserve members to be hawkish on such monetary expansion, commodity prices should continue to remain high allowing for higher profits and more enticing services adding to the interest in purchasing shares for this company.

Adding to the favorable and necessary high commodity prices, Archer-Daniels still has the strong fundamentals relative to both the share price and industry to add to the idea of being a strong buy. After a small slowdown in revenue growth from 2004 to 2005, revenue picked up once again during the most recent fiscal year and has provided more optimism for investors of this company. Nevertheless, even with increased revenue growth and earnings which have more than doubled from 2004 to 2005 and grew 33% from 2005 to 2006, the share price is still below industry standards. Compared to rivals Heinz, Kraft Foods, and Unilever which are all trading at their respective 52 week highs, Archer-Daniels still remains relatively cheap, as it currently trades closer to its 52 week low rather than high. While some investors may place the blame on poor fundamentals, when comparing the relative multiples of Archer-Daniels to its rivals, it is clear that this company is undervalued. Archer-Daniels currently supports a P/E ratio near 13 with a forward multiple of around 11. As the industry average multiple is near 15, there is clear indication that Archer-Daniels is undervalued with respect to arguably the most important multiple valuation. While other investors may look at a company like Unilever which supports a trailing P/E ratio of an incredible amount of around 4, the forward multiple is not as favorable with a ratio closer to 15. When examining some other more broader multiples, it seems that Archer-Daniels continues to support its undervalued theory as its PEG, enterprise value to revenue, and enterprise value to EBITDA of 1.24 (5 year growth), 0.65, and 8.02, respectively are all lower when compared to the respective trailing numbers of 2.71, 2.21, and 11.41 which competitor Heinz observes.

Thus, regardless of opening up almost 109 years ago, Archer-Daniels growth rate still is supportive of a stronger share price in the future. In addition, Archer-Daniel is still producing at rates relative to revenue and cash which are significantly higher to the share price. Moreover, Archer-Daniels also has a relatively strong current ratio which is indicative of its ROE of 16% which is above the industrys average. Furthermore, with a beta near one, the 52 week return is close to that of the S&P 500 which, since many investors are predicting yet another positive return year for the broader indices, should indicate solid capital gain growth for this company. Thus, with the strong management team lead by G. Allen Andreas, there is a lot of potential, according to fundamentals, for this company to rise in 2007, sprouting optimism for investors looking for some short term gains.

To add some technical analysis to this argument, it would seem, after looking at a one year chart that this company is on the decline after a possible peaking in August of 2006. While such may be said as a good observation, nevertheless, there are some other indicators to point to the optimistic. For example, looking at both a 50 and 100 day simple moving average, it is evident that the current share price is below both trend lines which should indicate another argument for the case of being undervalued. In addition, this 20.8 billion market valued stock also has seen over the past six months, during its decline, volume on down days tending to be lower than the 50 day moving average, while high volume typically occurred during days when the stock rose. Such would indicate that there may be some bullishness remaining with investors and shareholders regarding this company, and the decline was only evident because of possible profit taking. Therefore, after examining the charts, profile, and fundamentals that Archer-Daniels provides, there is a surplus of evidence indicating a strong potential of performance relative to share price in the near future.

Dennis Biray presents advice on all kinds of topics ranging from finance and investing to fitness to sports. For more information email him at dbiray@gmail.com, or to view other articles written by him visit http://www.biraynetworks.co.nr

Are Your Credit Score Or Credit Problems Keeping You From Investing In Real Estate?

2007-10-09T09:28:00.001-07:00

Joel Teo writes on various financial topics including Las Vegas Real Estate . Learn about Las Vegas Real Estate Investment at http://www.RealEstateInvestment101.info.

The Basics Of Short Selling Stocks

2007-10-09T09:12:00.001-07:00

Shorting or short selling refers to the selling of a contract, a bond or stock or a commodity that is not directly owned by the seller. When practicing short selling, a seller is committed to purchase the stock or commodity previously sold.

Short selling stocks means to take the stock from a broker on loan and sell it off to someone else. This is done so that the seller buys back the stock, when the price falls. The shares are returned to the broker from whom they were initially borrowed. The shorting profit or the difference in price goes to the seller. Short selling of stocks is a technique used by investors to capitalize on a probable decline in the stock price.

To understand this better, let us consider a company, say, ABC whose shares currently sell at $12 each. A short seller borrows 50 shares of ABC and then sells those shares to someone else at $12 per share, for a total of $600. Now, if in future the price of shares of ABC falls to $10 per share, this short seller would then buy back those 50 shares at $500 ($10 multiplied by 50 shares), send back the shares to the original owner/broker and make a profit of $100.

Short selling is risky, if the price per share goes up instead of declining, as expected. Suppose the price per share of ABC goes up to $15 per share, then the short seller will have to cash in the previously sold 50 shares at $750, return the shares to the original owner and incur a loss of $150.

Shorting is a transaction done on margin. Most brokers do not agree to short selling stocks below $5. This enables the investors and short sellers to indulge in the high-risk trading of stocks.

Some of the following market situations help to predict a fall in price of stocks: -

- Market indexes coming near the prior resistance levels.
- Market trend showing technically overbought levels.
- Restlessness before the announcement of a states government.
- Market vulnerability during scandals.

Large volume selling of stocks often result in short-term high profits. However, there are certain guidelines to be followed for successful short selling. They are:

- All stocks are not short able. Generally, brokers inform a seller whether a stock can be used for short selling or not.

- Sellers must open a margin account for short selling. This depends on the minimum balances and cash reserves. Sellers are required to sign a contract agreement with the brokers to open a margin account. This agreement clearly states that a seller will follow the rules and regulations stated by the broker.

-Target bad-performance, overpriced companies, since the probability of a fall in the share price involves lesser risk.

- Traders and short sellers should use stop orders to protect their capital from loss. Generally, brokers prevent a seller from suffering loss more than the principal. They may either compel the seller to quit the transaction or they may deposit funds to increase the sellers capital.

The short selling of stocks involves a lot of discipline. Sellers need to be proactive, alert and disciplined when shorting stocks.

Joe Kenny writes for the UK Loans Store offering UK secured loans and offer more information on UK bad credit loans and other loan topics available on site.
Visit Today: http://www.ukpersonalloanstore.co.uk

What is an Iron Condor?

2007-10-08T23:40:00.000-07:00

The Iron Condor option trading strategy is purely a market neutral strategy. An Iron Condor is constructed using a bull put credit spread together with a bear call credit spread on the same underlying asset to create a market neutral position. Iron Condor Spread can be entered a one order (simultaneously selling both bull and bear spread at the same time) or it can be entered as 2 separate orders (a bull put spread and a bear call spread separately). We prefer the latter because we can collect more premium by timing our entries through the use of technical analysis. A market neutral position can be profitable in a bull, bear, or sideways market. Sometimes you may hear that this is a non-directional trading strategy.

Option friendly brokers (brokers who understand option trading) offer more leverage for Iron Condor positions as they provide margin relief because they know that you cannot suffer simultaneous loss for your bull put spread and bear call spread.

For example: Let's assume that SPX is trading at 1300. If you enter into a bull put position on SPX at 1220/1210 and a bear call spread at 1380/1390, your profit zone is between 1220 and 1380. This means that as long as SPX expires between this range, you will profit. Theoretically you cannot lose on both positions because SPX cannot be more than 1380 and less than 1220 at the same time.

Since you can only suffer 1 losing spread, option friendly brokers only require that you maintain cash for only one side of the Iron Condor. Normally, it would be the spread with least premium collected.

Using the same example, let's say that we have collected a premium of $0.60 for the bull put spread and $0.80 for the bear call spread for a total premium collected of $1.40. Each spread requires $1000 per option contract and you write 10 contracts each. You will need a minimum of $10000 for 10 contracts. However, because you have collected $0.60 (the lesser of the 2 spreads), you will require only $9400 ($10,000 - $600) as cash requirement. Although you have written 20 contracts, only $9400 is required in your brokerage account.

Now here is the fun part. Your profit is $1400 for a risk of $8600. As long as SPX is within the profit zone of 1220 and 1380, the Iron Condor Spread will be profitable. The return for this Iron Condor position is 16.3% ($1400 divided by $8600).

Many professional traders use the Iron Condor Option Trading Strategy to increase their chances of success. Many have achieved a high winning ratio of 80% to 90%. When compounded, this strategy can accelerate your portfolio growth as well as your monthly income exponentially. Iron Condor Spread can be used as an aggressive trading strategy but smart traders will benefit fully using this approach as low risk investment strategy.

Market Neutral Strategies are powerful when applied correctly. Iron Condor and Credit Spread Trading are easy to apply with little or no monitoring required.

Fibonacci Trading, Your Compass To High Probability Trades

2007-10-08T22:50:00.000-07:00

When you start trading the currency markets, or any other market, you usually think that every trade is worth the risk and that a good trading system will teach you how to win in every trade you make. But thats far from the truth.

One of the first things you must realize as you enter the world of trading is that not every trade is worth the risk and every professional trader aims only for those high probability trades that will surely make them money. These are always trades that are highly predictable with the particular trading system you are using.

For example, by the combination of trend and Fibonacci techniques you can obtain very powerful signals for high probability trading. By using these indicators, trend-lines and Fibonacci levels in conjunction you will greatly improve your chances to pinpoint a highly profitable trade.

You may be asking by now what Fibonacci is?

Fibonacci trading is directly related to the existence of specific mathematical proportions that appear in many places and structures in nature. Fibonacci was the last name of an Italian mathematician who is remembered by his famous Fibonacci sequence. The definition of this sequence is that its formed by a series of numbers where each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers; 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13. In the case of currency trading what is more important for the forex trader is the Fibonacci ratios derived from this sequence of numbers, i.e. .236, .50, .382, .618, etc. These ratios are what determine the famous Fibonacci Levels.

Learning the correct use of these levels can positively impact your trading success. Fibonacci levels can perform as a compass guiding you to high probability trades.

=>> http://FibonacciNumbersTrading.googlepages.com

Forex Swing Trading Swing Trade Your Way To Regular Profit

2007-10-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

The rise of online forex trading means that anyone can swing trade for short term profits, Its not only profitable, its easy to learn, good fun and that's what trading should be.

Forex swing trading online provides the ideal market for the methodology of swing trading.

So why are currency markets the ideal for swing trading?

Lets first of all define what forex swing trading actually is

Forex Swing trading aims to identify intermediate swings in price, that can last from anywhere from a few days, to a few weeks.

This is not day trading day trading has no reliable data as the period is to short and you cant make money.

Swing trading here means still looking at short time frames, but the data is reliable enough for you to get the odds in your favor.

The following conditions make FOREX swing trading potentially such a lucrative way of trading

1. Liquidity

Each day the global forex markets see trillions of dollars transacted.

This is a 24 hour market and is the worlds biggest investment marketplace.

The huge size of the markets allows traders to open and close transactions quickly, to lock in profits and minimize losses.

2. Volatility

Currency markets are volatile and this is why a short term trading method such as forex swing trading can be so profitable.

A volatile moving market is essential for swing trading.

This volatility means a large number of potential opportunities that are presented to forex traders.

3. Transaction costs

Low transaction costs that were once the preserve of large institutions, now any trader can get 3 5 pip spreads meaning short term trading is viable for any trader

Swing trades come regularly

While currencies present long term trends, there are many profitable swing trading opportunities within them.

These shorter trends last for a few days to a few weeks and they offer regular high reward low risk trading opportunities for forex swing traders

5 Psychology is easy to learn

Many traders lack patience and want to have quick action well thats exactly what you get with forex swing trading.

FOREX swing trading offers them a lot of trades regularly and you dont need the patience of a long term trend follower.

Swing trades tend to either run to profit quickly or loss, keeping the trader interested, motivated, disciplined and focused.

This is an ideal way of trading for someone who loves trading.

Forex swing trading is also

Easy to learn you can simply use support and resistance lines with some confirming momentum indicators. For example, we use just stochastics and RSI Its simple and a stress free way of trading and best of all can make big profits with low risk.

FOREX Swing trading is fun and very profitable and thats the way trading should be.

GRAB 3 X FREE TRADER PDF'S AND MUCH MORE!

On all aspects of becoming a profitable trader including features, downloads and some critical FREE Trader PDF's and more FREE Forex Education visit our website at http://www.net-planet.org/index.html

Evaluating A Money Manager

2007-10-08T17:34:00.000-07:00

Scams and frauds are designed to take your money through false promises and phonyclaims. Money management is supposedly designed to increase your net worth. Sometimes these two worldsmeet and the results are not in your favor, i.e., youhave a considerable decrease in net worth.

The information in this article won't keep future money managers honest but it will help you find the one who is right for your situation. There are four criteria you must consider before you give your money to anyone to manage.

1) Philosophy-- This is the thought theology used by the money manager to make your money grow. In other words, does (s)he focus on stocks, options, mutual funds, annuities, a blend of investment vehicles, etc.? Does this philosophy coincide with your risk tolerance? If stocks are too risky, a manager concentrating in that arena isn't for you. The philosophy also points you to their performance.

2) Performance-- We all know the markets are not stagnant. They go up, they go down. No investment manager can predict the market with absolute certainty. But, they should perform well, or even above average, in their specialty. For example, a stock focused money manager in today's market environment should have performance numbers that would make even Warren Buffet take notice. You want as long a performance record as possbile. To be fair, one market cycle should give you a decent indication of the manager's performance in his/her area(s) of expertise.

3) Process-- This is the means the manager uses to select securities for the portfolios. For example, does (s)he rely
only on in house research or does (s)he incorporate research
from outside sources? If so, who are they and on what frequency are they used?

4) Personnel-- Besides wanting to know the manager's experience, you'd be wise to learn all you could about the folks working in the office. Who actually manages the portfolio? His/her experience? How long has (s)he been in business? Who will manage your account when (s)he is out of the office, on vacation, on business?

Some people would say cost is one of the criteria.I say it is, but to a lesser degree.In over 30 years in this business, I can guarantee that paying the highest commission did not necessarily result in receiving the best advice. Paying the lowest commission did not necessarily result in receiving the worst advice.

Cost comes in the form of fees and commissions. ALL money managers charge. Cost, initially,should not be in your criteria because it often becomes the ONLY determining factor. That will skewer your thinking and could result in not having a
winning team working for you. Make the above four parametersyour
primary criteria and cost will take care of itself.

How? You will be quoted a charge. If you are not comfortable with that price, negotiate. All fees and commissions are negotiable. If the manager refuses to negotiate, then and only then, make cost a member of the criteria team.

This article won't solve all of the money management problems or costs associated therewith. However, it'll at least start you thinking in the right direction and keep
your money in your pocket until you are ready to hand it over.

2004 (c) This article may not be reprinted without permission of the author who can bereached at tom-koziol@excite.com

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Save For Your Childrens Future With A Child Trust Fund

2007-10-08T16:09:00.000-07:00

If you're expecting a newborn baby or your child was born after 1st September 2002 Child Trust Funds are something you need to know about. Essentially a new government scheme that hopes to encourage saving, it means that every newborn baby will receive 250, or for low income families 500, to be invested tax-free and made available once the child becomes 18.

Alone this is unlikely to result in a particularly massive pay out (the full 500 would be worth 1,410 based on an estimated 7% growth) but family and friends will be allowed to add up to 1,200 a year in additional investment. Any income arising from these contributions will be tax free. There is certainly the potential then to generate a decent sized sum. The scheme should therefore open up the possibility of building significant savings for their child to a wider demographic than might previously have been the case. Far more children will in theory now be able to make use of a handy lump sum that could be put towards university fees or a first car, anything they want in fact.

CTF's are designed to be as simple and transparent as possible for parents. First up a voucher will arrive from the government, there's no responsibility placed on the parent to make an application. It's then down to you to decide how you want to invest it although there will be limitations nothing too high risk essentially. Even if you fail to invest after a year HM Revenue and customs will do it for you, after which point parents are free to assume responsibility for the account. In addition the government will even contribute another 250 (again, twice as much for low income families) when the child reaches the age of 7.

Aside from being a useful savings tool for future generations and especially those children who may not otherwise have had anything set aside it's also being plugged as a scheme aimed at financial education. Giving kids a potentially valuable experience of real money management seems to have been one of the key motivations behind the idea with children set to receive relevant financial advice and education leading up to the point at which they are permitted access to the money. Perhaps the aim is to help go someway towards instilling a saving habit that might counterbalance an increasingly buy now, forget about the consequences' culture.

Give your child a head start by saving for their future with an ASDA Child Trust Fund, a name you know and trust.

Ka-ching! Ka-ching!

2007-10-08T14:45:00.000-07:00

Putting your 401k in auto-pilot could be the right choice for your retirement. Studies have shown and you can probably attest to the report that most families cant, dont, or wont put enough monies back for their retirement. The sad truth is, two thirds of American workers over 50, have less than $50,000 set aside in their retirement accounts.

IRAs and 401k accounts are a great slow pay retirement method of choice, but Again, the keyword here is choice. Its hard to contribute to a rainy day account when its already raining. With several American companies eluding from company pension plans and paying their employees with stocks or stock options, the new trend is to have a percentage of their employees paycheck automatically placed into a 401k account and this is slowly improving the retirement outlook across the nation.

IRA and 401k accounts are beginning to show signs of an upward trend in both account balances and popularity among American workers. Since many companies have either failed to perform as expected, or in worse case scenarios, have cut back mainly from the employee benefits, auto-enrolling and auto-contributions into 401k accounts are really a positive, yet slightly painful approach to generating a better retirement outlook for most Americans.

Considering the constant erosion of the American workers benefits and the increase in healthcare costs, it is to all of our benefit that we take a more aggressive stand to planning our retirement.

Auto-enrollment has shown that employers who automatically enroll new-hires and current workers into a 1 to 6 percent 401k payroll deduction with the option to allow employees to opt out has only seen a small percentage of employees actual choose to stop this deduction. By urging or actually enrolling employees into their 401k accounts has taken the positive steps toward seeing a more optimistic future for retirees.

Auto-investment is where a worker is automatically enrolled in a 401k plan and is generally assigned to an investment option of the companys choosing or the employee can opt to choose from a list of investments such as a money market fund. To further offer more options, diversifying an employees choices can give an active investor the opportunity to select and track their monies for greater returns.

The main purpose of all the different options available is to strengthen the long term investing in your future and your retirement. Whether its an IRA, 401k or some other savings plan, you are responsible for your financial future. Any assistance that you think you need, there are financial advisors that will show you your options and what fits your budget and affordability to get the most from your efforts. Explore your options and expand on your understanding of how retirement should work for you instead of working through your retirement age. We all think we can live and work forever but the reality is quite different. The burden of support for you should remain with you.

http://wealthsmith.com/your-ira-401k.htm

Jim is an online entrepreneur that shares his findings and reports them for the benefit of his readers. Today he has some valuable insights on retirement planning. http://wealthsmith.com/your-ira-401k.htm

"Fears Only Enemy Is Action"

2007-10-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

What a great statement!

I just heard someone use it in the context of personal and financial success and it struck me as a brilliant summary of an issue we raise in the SMG Tutorials.

Fear is a huge issue with a lot of traders. And interestingly, not just fear of failure but also fear of success.

I think there are two keys to taming fear [you can never eliminate it so dont even try!].

The first and most critical is the one noted above action. Action can tame fear in an instant. But it needs to be the right sort of action.

If you have a fear of heights, going bungee jumping may not be the best way to address it! But standing on a high bridge is a good first step.

In the same way, if you have a fear of losing your trading account, trying to face it down by putting it all on the line in one trade is not the best sort of action.

But taking considered, appropriate action [like the strict use of stop losses] is a way of taming fear. And getting past the paralysis stage that fear can create.

The second key is focus. By this I mean keeping in the moment and concentrating on the immediate action that is required to move you forward.

If your focus is too broad you can become overwhelmed by the possibilities. Or you might start to worry about things that are beyond your control or simply dont matter like what

But when you narrow your focus and remain in the moment in regard your trading, fear will be sidelined. The simple reason for this is that you cant concentrate on two things at once!

And again, this will help overcome the paralysis that can be created by fear.

So if you suffer from fear in your trading - action and focus are the key!

David Chandler

Ordinary People Making Extraordinary Profits!

For a free mini-course on stock and options trading click the following link:

http://www.StockMarketGenie.com

Or visit our blog at:

http://stockmarketgenie.blogspot.com/

The above comments are offered for educational purposes only. We are not providing you with financial advice. We are simply sharing with you what has and hasn't worked for us personally. If you wish to trade or invest in the stock market you should obtain advice from a registered licensed advisor.

Article Marketing Bootcamp: 5 Tips for Creating Content

2007-10-08T09:30:00.001-07:00

The heart of any article marketing strategy is the creation of quality content. It can also be the hardest part of the process if you don't know the shortcuts and tricks of the trade. Here are a few inspirations and idea sparkers to help you build a large library of article marketing goodness.

1. It's all in the list
Top Ten lists, check lists, to-do lists - people love lists. And lists are easy to create. Just choose a topic (say, tax preparation) and an angle (mistakes people make) and get started writing down examples. Fill out each list item with a paragraph or two of advice, and then jazz it up with an attention-getting title, such as "Top 5 Mistakes People Make When Doing Their Own Taxes." Before you know it, you've got a winner.
One trick when it comes to lists is to stick with odd numbers, especially 5, 7 and 9. For some reason, the human mind seems to view odd numbers as exciting and attractive, while even numbers come across as flat or incomplete. Less than five seems skimpy, while more than 9 points is simply too much information for one article to cover - in fact, I'd stick with 5 and 7 just to be on the safe side. If you have more vital list items than that, break them up into an article series.
2. Questionable material
Another shortcut to writing an article is to pose a question in the opening paragraph, then use the remainder of the article to answer it. Maybe your friends and colleagues are always asking the same questions about your topic. If so, make a note and use them to spur article ideas. Jot down questions you get from customers, too. These are the best source for business-related Q&A articles.
Also, this is a good time to go through your website's FAQ. In many cases, the questions you have there regarding your business could each be the foundation for an individual article or even a series of articles, depending on how complicated the answer is.
3. Step by step
How-to or other instructional articles are also popular, and easy to write if you know your stuff. Make a quick outline of steps involved in the process, note any tips or hints that might save your reader time and frustration and get to writing. Just to make sure you haven't overlooked anything, ask a friend or colleague who is unfamiliar with your topic review the piece and see if your instructions are clear, complete and easy to understand.
4. Turn on the news
Keep your eye on the news, both in your subject and in general. What is going on in your field of interest? What effect will news items have on your subject? What changes are taking place in the world that will impact your topic?
Look outside the immediate scope of your topic - changes and trends in one industry, field or process can often be applied to others. This is a great opportunity for creative and innovative idea cross-pollination, and doing this will automatically brand you as a cutting-edge thinker in your field of interest.
5. Play it again, Sam
Finally, look around you and see what you can repurpose from existing content. Your blogs, ebooks, workshops and other existing IP (intellectual property) are great sources of inspiration and even directly repurposed content for articles. I'll talk more about this process in Article Marketing Bootcamp: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Your Content, but the core of the issue is this - why create your article content from scratch when the chances are good that you have enough material laying around you right now to get a great head start with just a little cutting, pasting and editing?

One of the hardest questions for writers to answer is also the most common - where do you get your ideas? Hopefully this article will help give you the inspiration you need to begin creating your own stock of article marketing content. Of course, there are as many ways to come up with content ideas as there are writers, and no doubt you'll stumble upon a few of your own as you gain experience. But these examples should provide you with enough to get you started on the road to successful article marketing.

Author Info:
Soni Pitts is a professional freelance writer and editor, with experience that ranges from short web articles to full-length ebooks and beyond.

"Need professional quality writing, but hate to write - or just don't have the time to do it all yourself? Don't let less-than-perfect writing skills or a tight schedule leave you at a loss for words. Query writer [at] sonipitts.com for a free consultation, samples and a quote."

Real Option

2007-10-07T23:56:00.000-07:00

Real estate is an intelligent option to add to your portfolio and diversify your risk. Real estate, as an investment option generating profits for an investor was unheard of years before. There was just a market rumour that, real estate could at anytime capture the markets. Later on, the real estate market heated up and the scenario changed rapidly.

Take an example of Bangalore (India) where people who had bought land years back have suddenly become billionaires. They were just common people whose lands have appreciated. It has finally emerged as an ideal investment over the years and there are many takers this day for a land thats available at a fair price or has an appreciation potential. The market is far more vibrant today and the participation of investors is ever increasing. Moreover there are many speculative market players who try to create an artificial rise in prices. So a balanced real estate market can prove a stable investment for a layman.

Real estate as an investment avenue
The investment scenario in the country has taken a backseat and has experienced a steep fall over the last few years. However, this downfall is a just the result of skyrocketing prices. The demand has steadied again as the need for office spaces and business houses have increased. The rentals being collected are the chief source of regular income. Thus the real estate sector is at par with other investment options like stocks, shares etc.

Investment in housing and residential property is a wise option with a massive potential. Moreover housing finance companies offer easy loans to people seeking to invest in property deals.

Office and residential spaces

These are the more trusted options available to an investor today. People who possess property can transfer it to a company or individuals and gain regular income from it. In fact more people who are into real estate investing are considering this glamorous option. Rental incomes are anywhere between 11% to 15% and are also offering the benefit of capital gains too. In another market option the customer can also lease the property and gain a monthly rental. However one must not forget that the risk element is to be kept in mind.

Diversification of holdings

As an investor one can hold property in various markets and also across many states and countries. If at all the market condition tends to slow down in a particular state there can be a total slowdown in the business of real estate investors. Hence intelligent investors make it a point to hold property across states so that there is a diversification of risk. Thus the business doesnt suffer on a large scale and is more stable even at such times. An investor can further diversify his real estate holdings into residential and commercial holdings. But, office spaces and lease or rental properties remain evergreen options.

To cap it all, real estate remains one best option with people who are willing to play it big.

Written by Charles Smithston. Striving to achieve financial freedom? Join The Team Wealth Builder community and get to know about the different streams for investing money to get rich. Visit TeamWealthBuilder for tips on how to invest on long-term income building methods to get out of the rat race. Get yourself interested in the discussion about stock markets, real estates, mutual funds, businesses, web sites and much more and drive yourself to the financial freedom sector.

Forex Trading Strategies - Self Discipline Is The Key

2007-10-07T23:15:00.000-07:00

The biggest appeal of Forex trading is that it offers instant wealth creation. But an offer is nothing more than an offer and the opportunity will pay off only for those who approach the foreign exchange market equipped with Forex trading strategies. The strategies should be well though out, unique if possible, and leave the trader with the understanding that tactics are only one useful element in the complicated world of Forex trading.

Regardless of whether you want to participate in day trading, position trading, or swing trading, Forex trading strategies will reduce your risk, but only if you have the discipline to stick with them. Traders who are undisciplined can turn the most sophisticated trading plans into hash, but a disciplined and flexible trader can see opportunities to take profgits from even the direst situations.

The Best Forex Trading Strategies
There is a school of though among some Forex traders that the very best traders have convoluted Forex trading strategies and are simply blessed with a keenly developed market sense. They also share a belief that there is a faction among Forex traders who are privy to inside information on which they can base their Forex investment strategies.

But no matter what anyone believes, there are some common traits which separate the winners from the losers in the Forex trading arena. What are they?

The best Forex traders take the time to observer market patterns and put together strategies which raise their odds of making money. They repeatedly capitalize on the same knowledge

The best Forex traders never enter a trade without having an exit strategy. They set their getting in price, and they set their getting out price. If the getting-in price never comes around, they dont change it. When the getting-out price is reached, they exit. They know when to cut their losses, and when to lock in their profits. And they have the discipline to do both.

The best Forex traders never become greedy. They are much more comfortable making many small gains than they are trying for the grand slam. They are traders for the long term.

The best Forex traders recognize the wisdom of getting in when others are getting out of a position, and exiting a position when the crowd arrives. They are natural contrarians.

Anyone Can Do It, With A Little Restraint
Forex trading strategies are only as good as the discipline of the trader who employs them. For those willing to exercise self restraint, the Forex markets can be very profitable indeed. As long as someone uses only risk capital for Forex trading, and sticks to a plan, there is no reason why he or she cannot become a success at Forex trading.

You can also find more info on Currency Forex and Forex Brokers. e-forextradingsystem.com is a comprehensive resource to know about e-Forex Trading System.

Rising Interest Rates and Why We Should Care

2007-10-07T22:32:00.000-07:00

A new client of ours recently came into some unforeseen money. With the desire to act wisely and give his cash the opportunity to grow, he told us that he wanted to invest in something safe. We asked him if he had any ideas and he responded immediately: Bonds. Twenty years ago, we would have agreed that bonds were a safe investment. But with interest rates on the rise as they are today, yesterdays sure thing is fast becoming todays risk.

Lets refer to our new client as Bob. Bob is a typical retiree. He lives with his wife, who is also retired, and they have two grown children with families of their own. Bob and his wife both receive monthly social security payments and pensions from their former companies. In addition, they receive IRA distributions from their retirement savings.

Investing in bonds (or bond mutual funds or bond trusts) to supplement pensions and/or social security income has been a typical safe move for many retired people for the past 20-plus years. With interest rates going down, seniors who locked into fixed high interest rate investments received chunky interest payments, and in many cases watched their principal go up as well.

However, nothing lasts forever, and because interests rates are cyclical in nature, bonds arent necessarily the safe investments that many people view them to be. Let us explain: When interest rates go down, bond prices go up. Now, with interest rates at 45-year historical lows, we think theres a pretty good chance that rates will start to climb. The Federal Reserve, otherwise known as The Fed, (under the leadership of Alan Greenspan) has a huge impact on interest rates. Banks will raise their prime rate consistent with federal fund rate hikes. Eventually, after enough short-term rate hikes, we predict that long-term rates will follow. Shortly thereafter, the bond market will have to catch up, and bond prices will be forced in one direction: Down.

So this is how it looks for our friend Bob: Short-term interest rates are creeping higher, while long-term rates have not yet caught up. Long bond yields are in the middle of dropping, which means that long bond prices are increasing, due to the inverse relationship between yield and price. Something is definitely wrong with this picture. With interest rates going higher, how can long bond prices be going higher too? Remember what we said about the other important inverse relationship, the one between bonds and interest rates: Its only a matter of time before the longer bond markets correct and long bond prices start heading down.

If youre feeling confused by all of these relationships, dont worrymany financial professionals feel the same way. Nevertheless, youre probably wondering: What can I do to protect my investment portfolio? Well, this is what we recommend:

1)Review your investment objectives.
2)Review your investment time frame.
3)Ask your broker/advisor what options you have regarding the prevention of loss of principal and income.

The good news for Bob and others like him is that strategies are available to help protect his money. One strategy we recommend involves shortening and staggering maturities of individual bonds so that money comes due on a regular basis. This will allow Bob to assess the interest rate environment regularly, giving him the option to purchase additional bonds at the current interest rate, or waiting for rates to change.

Due to rampant confusion and misunderstandings when it comes to bond investments, it is important to remember the difference between various bonds and bond funds. U.S. government Treasury bonds (T-bonds), municipal bonds, corporate bonds, junk bonds, bond trusts, government bond mutual funds, municipal bond mutual funds, etc. are some of the most common ways an investor can get involved in the bond market. But as with any investment, each of these bond investments has its own ratings, risks, performance predictions, and principal guarantees. For example, with U.S. government bond mutual funds, there are NO guarantees of principal.

Were not suggesting that Bob should avoid the bond market like the plague, only that he should keep a watchful eye on it. There is still money to be made by investing in bonds, but with interest rates on the rise, there clearly is an increased potential for loss. Our goal is to help Bob maintain a lifestyle that involves choice. We want him to enjoy that upcoming vacation with his wife, the new car every four years, summer camp for the grandkids Bob has worked hard for a lifetime to make these things happen. By watching his portfolio closely and investing carefully in the bond market, were confident that Bob will be able to turn his plans into reality, despite rising interest rates.

Don is President of Conrad Capital Management, an independent registered investment advisor in Melville, New York. Before launching his own firm in 1997, Don held a combined seventeen-year tenure at E.F. Hutton and PaineWebber, where he served as Senior Vice-President at both firms.

Don can be reached by phone: (631) 439-7878 or email: don@conradcapital.com Also, to learn more about Conrad Capital Management, visit the website at: http://www.conradcapital.com

Don started his career in the late 1970s at a nationally recognized mutual fund company and was recruited after three years by E.F. Hutton Company to work in the consumer retail division. During his thirteen-year tenure there, he spent two years specializing in and trading the 30-year treasury bond. For the last five years, he served as a senior vice president focusing his efforts in the Consulting Services division, maintaining offices in both Long Island and Manhattan.

In 1993, he was recruited by PaineWebber as a Senior Vice President in the consumer retail division. In addition to managing his clients assets, he was asked by senior management to conduct a nationwide tour to train financial consultants in the Consulting Services division. Don also made a video on the use of advanced technology in the financial services industry. This video was distributed to PaineWebber offices internationally.

After almost five years at PaineWebber, Don decided to pursue his dream by starting Conrad Capital Management in order to offer his clients more choices and flexibility.

Financial Investment Tips - 7 Tips For Not Losing Money On Your Mutual Fund Investments

2007-10-07T14:14:00.000-07:00

Investing in mutual funds has inherent risks. You cannot totally eliminate all risk from any financial investment. However, you can significantly reduce your risk and lower your chances of losing your principle by following these seven tips.

1.Know the risks.

Not only should you know the risks but you should know them before you buy. Many people learn by trial and error. That way of learning means that you will get burned every time you learn a lesson. Your life will be more comfortable if you learn from the mistakes of others. Then you get the benefit of the lesson without the financial injury.

2.Discern who has your best interest at heart.

You always want to have your radar on so you can discern who is a friend or a foe. It takes practice to be able to tell who has your best interests at heart. If someone only calls you when they want you to buy something, they may have their self-interest above what is best for you.

One of the best principles to utilize when judging the merits of someone's ideas is to use third party verification. See if what someone tells you can also be verified by a third party. Who else says that this investment is a solid long term play?

3.Always understand how financial instruments work.

If you cannot explain how something works in one to three sentences then you may not fully grasp what it does or how it works. That lack of knowledge can end up harming you later. An easy way to research financial terms and investment vehicles is to use a search engine like Google or Ask.com. Type a term in a search engine and you will easily find simple explanations to almost any confusing terms.

4.Know your options.

Don't think that you must invest in the single item that is in front of you. Understand what options you have. You may discover that something that is similar but ten times better for your individual comfort level.

For example, many people have bought REIT's and mutual funds that invest in real estate over the last ten years. However many experienced investors that I know have been surprised to see people use these investment vehicles when they can easily invest in real estate directly as a private lender without the fees and expenses.

5.Stay within your risk comfort zone.

Some people fall into the trap of feeling that they must take more risk because they are close to retirement and need to grow their savings faster. This attitude can lead to chasing the highest return without fully assessing all of the risks involved. Staying within your comfort zone can bring you more sleep and less stress.

6.Get answers to all of your questions.

If you have serious reservations about an investment, do not purchase it. First, get your questions answered, and then decide if it is right for you. Too many people accept what someone presents to them without fully understanding it.

7.Ask an expert.

Talk to other people who know more than you do about the financial subject you are interested in. Discover their opinion and how they feel about the topic. They may be able to suggest an alternative that suits your needs better.

If you are wondering where you can find an investment that many experienced investors describe as being very secure and earns high returns, then go to http://www.securityandreturns.com/name-your-return-just-like-a-bank/

If you'd like to read a Special Report on getting higher returns in your IRA, then you can download it by going here http://www.securityandreturns.com and looking in the left hand column.

Written by Dan Snyder - founder of the Association of Private Lenders.

Variable Annuities - The Uncensored Version

2007-10-07T00:10:00.000-07:00

With all the investments out there such as mutual funds, exchange traded funds, hedge funds, stocks, bonds, etc., why then the huge attraction to variable annuities? You cant pick up a newspaper, turn on the television, listen to the radio, or have a conversation about investments without the subject of variable annuities (VAs) coming up. So, whats all the buzz about? Well, ironically, all of the hype thats pushed to the forefront is almost always negative. Nevertheless, the latest estimates are that close to one trillion dollars are invested in VAs. What does a statistic like that signal to investors? It tells you that something good must be happening, right? Why would so much money be invested in variable annuities if people werent benefiting in one way or another?

Well, heres the inside scoop: Although several variable annuities are great additions to many investment portfolios, certain ones at times can be detrimental to the overall health of any portfolio. This can be due to potential lengthy lock-up periods, high expense ratios, and possible conflicts of interest that can arise because of the often high commissions paid by the investor. As you know, anytime large commissions are involved in sales, misrepresentation, lack of disclosure, and other types of foul play can be involved as well. Some of the people that are selling VAs see it as an opportunity to make a fast buck.

Unfortunately, in the process, trusting investors not well versed in this area of expertise can find themselves on the short end of the stick. When this happens, the real tragedy is the major group affected by it; thats typically seniors 50-80 years old who are gearing up for, or are already in, retirement. Both groups are almost always in a position where money saved up can rarely be recovered by the remaining years of work or through returning to the work force and starting over again. And remember, in a lot of cases, its their lifelong savings were talking about! This is another classic example of the One bad apple theory: A few brokers/agents illegally putting their own selfish interests first, ahead of the well being of their clients. And unfortunately, this has rung true, and has been a rapidly growing phenomenon.

Heres the good news: A lot of these potentially abusive policies have been sold outside of New York State, where the insurance laws are more lenient. The way this works is each state usually has its own rules and regulations governing the insurance industry. New York State is one of the most highly regulated and toughest states in the country to do business in for the insurance companies. For an insurance company to do business here, they must agree to participate in the New York state insurance pool. This pool helps insulate investors from the risk of losing their money in the event their insurance company should go bankrupt. Well, that protects you if the insurance company screws up, but that doesnt seem to be where the problem lies today. What we see as the major problem is this: How can investors today protect themselves from getting ripped off or ill advised from one of these bad apple annuity salespeople?

First, it probably makes sense for us to give you a little background on what a variable annuity is. A variable annuity contract allows you to allocate your premium among a number of investment portfolios, consisting of any mixture of stocks, fixed income instruments or money market accounts. Your contract value will reflect the performance of the underlying investments held in those portfolios, minus the contract expenses, and is subject to market risk, including the potential loss of the principal invested. A variable annuity is a personal retirement account that brings together the best features of managed investments and insurance. Your money accumulates tax-deferred in professionally managed funds until withdrawn. And, you can feel safer knowing your beneficiaries will receive benefits upon death. In addition, guaranteed income and principal protection can be purchased within the contract. After everything our country has been through over the last few years, many investors are willing to pay for these guarantees. Because of the potential to have tax-deferred growth with guarantees in place, more and more people are looking to variable annuities as a panacea to stock market uncertainty. Heres a case that just recently crossed our path.

When Mr. and Mrs. Jones came into our office inquiring about variable annuities a few weeks ago, with all the buzz previously discussed, we expected them to be more thoroughly versed on the topic. During our consultation, we found out very quickly that they were not. They had violated one of the cardinal rules of investing. Mr. and Mrs. Jones had not educated themselves on the topic of variable annuities. They actually said the reason theyre interested in variable annuities is because their friends have them and continuously rant and rave about how good they are. We see it in our business often; investment decisions, regardless if correct or incorrect, being made for the wrong reasons. It ends up that the Jones are a great example of a situation where we feel that a variable annuity would be a fitting investment that would assist them in meeting their needs and financial goals.

Heres why: Mr. and Mrs. Jones are both 68 years old and have been married for 39 years. Theyve both just recently retired, and are currently receiving monthly social security and pension payments. Between the two of them, their monthly intake is $4,500. Their regular expenses average at $5,000, with an additional $500-$1,000 spent for miscellaneous reasons. Because of the $1,000-$1,500 monthly shortfall that usually exists, their main need is to supplement the payments they receive with an additional income. This supplement would be essential in helping them to meet their necessary expenses and have some money left over for travel, entertainment and lifes unpredictable expenses that seem to have a habit of always coming up. They were interested in choosing an investment path that would give their money a chance to grow rather aggressively, tax-deferred, while minimizing downside risk and maintaining principal protection, while concurrently serving as a reliable income source (a case not unfamiliar to us). Because of the needs, risk tolerances, and financial and personal situation of Mr. and Mrs. Jones, the variable annuity not only was a good fit, but the best we could figure.

When shopping for annuities, or any type of investment for that matter, the first thing we recommend doing is to make a list of your needs, goals, time frame, and desired investment amount. That is the first thing we did with Mr. and Mrs. Jones when they walked into our office. Even before discussing annuity types and insurance company ratings, you need to have a plan with goals clearly laid out. We usually create a grid for comparative purposes where each category can get a checkmark and weighting so that priorities can be determined. Some important categories to analyze when dealing with variable annuities are expense ratios, lock-up period lengths, annual withdrawal limits, penalties, surrender charges, and age constraints for certain benefits within the annuity. Benefits often discussed are guaranteed income options, up front bonus options, stepped-up death benefits, etc. That is why it is important to take the approach that allows one to visually understand and weigh what you are getting for the amount youre paying.

There are many reasons why investors, like Mr. and Mrs. Jones, may choose to go with a variable annuity rather than more typical types of safe investments, such as bonds. Although bonds can serve as a stable source of fixed income under many circumstances, the returns are often not enough for many. With the 10-year Treasury bond currently yielding a return of 3.9%, versus the 6.5% the S & P 500 is yielding, its no wonder more people are turning to more aggressive options that strive to take advantage of upswings in the market, while providing some type of protection on the downside. That is when the variable annuity becomes an option you may want to explore. But with more VAs to choose from than there are pain relievers on a drugstore shelf, how can you choose the annuity that is most appropriate for you, if it is appropriate at all in the first place?

Well, the answer lies in education. Weve found out over time that there is no single best way for one to educate himself/herself. Whether its reading a book about VAs at a local bookstore on a Saturday afternoon, attending a two-day seminar, listening to a set of audio tapes in the car during your drive in to work, or enlisting the help of a trusted advisor; any of the above methods, in addition to many others, can be extremely helpful in getting familiarized with the wide array of investment vehicles available to you. In this case, the clich knowledge is power proves to be very true. Its the difference between developing a general understanding of what are fitting investments that will help you reach your financial goals, or just getting lost in the mix. This idea has been proven to us over and over again.

When the client is informed and has all of his or her questions answered, not only does their satisfaction increase, but also their comfort level with the decisions that are made. Some investors might feel a little intimidated by this process, but thats ok and perfectly natural. There are literally thousands of different routes one can take when investing, and its not always easy to know which one is in your best interest, but that is why a trusted advisor is there. After youve gained a feel for what is available out there and what youre looking for, then its often wise to consult with a trusted advisor in order to have a professional opinion that is keeping your best interests in mind.

In the end, a good indicator of how qualified the annuity specialist youre dealing with is would be your gut feeling. This should be the final deciding factor, and arguably the most important. If Mr. and Mrs. Jones can look this person in the eye and feel as though he or she is keeping their best interests in mind, theyll most likely feel good about the idea of working with this person. If everything else mentioned above checks out ok, chances are the Jones will be comfortable with the decision they come to make. This in turn usually leads to a feeling of strong gratification when the expected outcome of your investment decision becomes a reality.

Don Conrad is president of Conrad Capital Management, an independent registered investment advisor, in Melville, New York. Can be reached by phone: (631) 439-7878 or email: don@conradcapital.com

After almost five years at PaineWebber, Don decided to pursue his dream by starting Conrad Capital Management in order to offer his clients more choices and flexibility.

I Got the Entrepreneurial Gene - Did You?

2007-10-06T19:21:00.001-07:00

Firstly let me introduce myself, I am a wife, mother of two and owner/manager of two businesses. Over the years I have worked with market leaders across many industries including manufacturing, health, IT, retail, horse racing and golf course maintenance. Although Ive worked with them in many ways the underlying theme has always been to build their business (even if they didnt know it at the time) the reason for this is I have to build businesses because I have the e gene, that is, the entrepreneurial gene.

I grew up in an entrepreneurial family my mother, father and brother all still have their own businesses (in fact they each have at least two). My Uncle & Aunt have an award winning winery in Clare Valley that they built from scratch Yes Id say the entrepreneurial gene is very prominent in my family.

My first venture into entrepreneurialism was standing on a milk crate at four years old in my parents milk bar singing to the tradesmen that used to come in to buy Dads homemade pies during the pastry strike in Adelaide. Dad was not a pie maker, chef or even a cook but when the pastry companies went on strike he did what every committed entrepreneur would do he made his own, that is he got up at 4am and made pies and sausage rolls before he went to work in his fulltime job as engineer at the highways department!

So he provided the pies and I provided the entertainment and the business was a raging success. In fact after the strike was over many customers kept asking for Dads pies but he had moved on. I think this anecdote truly shows the entrepreneurial spirit if theres some thing to be done you just get in and do it. In times of adversity of uncertainty you find a creative way out.

I grew up in the back rooms of retail shops that my parents owned. Id come home from school with my brother and wed play leggo and barbies like normal kids do but we just did it in the back room of which ever shop they owned at the time. I remember regular games of school teacher using a big black board opposite my Dads lead lighting bench he taught classes after his day job! I got to serve customers, answer phones, help unload and price stock it was great fun. And it was a great training ground for customer service skills. As an HR professional now I can always see the vast difference in young candidates between those that have worked whilst at school and those that havent. Those that have are a long way ahead of the latter in terms of customer service skills and often even work ethic.

My next foray into entrepreneurialism came with selling homemade gumnut people at a roadside stall outside my house. Unfortunately we didnt live on a busy road so it wasnt that successful. Later on I started a babysitting business by doing a flyer drop around my house and unfortunately that was a little too successful and I had trouble saying no. Subsequently my year 11 scores werent so crash hot. I had to call it quits much to the disappointment of my main client who had four children under seven and employed me every evening between four and six.

Im sure we all do these kinds of things as kids but I guess the difference for me is that Ive never stopped. I am a self confessed serial business plan writer. Whilst I was an at-home mum with my first child I wrote and researched three business plans, that is, amongst working part time and attending university part-time. My mind does not stop and I fully blame the e gene for it. My husband would come home from work and say so what business is it today honey?

The e gene can be quite annoying as it wakes you in the middle of the night with a great idea or solution to a problem and you quietly feel around for a pen to make scribbled notes on the pad which is kept on the bedside table specifically for these occasions. This is all done in complete darkness and very quietly in an attempt not to make the non e gene hubby!

Its took me a long time to work out why I was different to my friends none of which have much interest in business. In a moment of enlightenment I realized it was the e gene. Over a recent family discussion drying the dishes at my brothers house it was pointed out by a visitor that we were quite an unusual family. I was telling my brother and mother how Id been looking at Google Analytics which shows the key words people have typed in to Google and then clicked through to your website on and I said last month five people came to my website by searching on you Brad and four came by searching you Mum. Both their names are included in my website as their businesses have been clients of mine. And because their businesses have been so successful people have been researching them online or so I thought. My brother believed this to be true but my mother said she didnt think theyd been searching her for business reasons instead she said its probably the guys on RSVP who are researching me to see if Im the sort theyd like to contact! The visitor thought the whole conversation was very odd and could not imagine her family even knowing what google was!

I look at my two daughters now at eight and four and I see the e gene already in my eldest. She has started making signs to sell stick on tattoos at our front gate. She may have a bit more success than me though as we DO live on a busy road!

If youve got the e gene it is advisable to build your own business or work in a small business that will appreciate your creativity, innovation

As an experienced HR professional Taimi is passionate about delivering sound people management practices which move organisations into high performance mode. With over 8 years consulting experience she has consistently assisted many organisations to become market leaders through their people practices. Taimi has a degree in Human Resource Management and Psychology and is a qualified trainer. She is presently undertaking further studies in marketing and personal development. Having been born and bred in the small business environment and with over 20 years experience within SMEs she understands that entrepreneurs want practical, accessible solutions that can be easily implemented. Taimi has an intricate understanding of building businesses, managing people and cloning entrepreneurial business owners through people and systems management.

Generate High Returns Daily

2007-10-06T17:16:00.001-07:00

Would you like to learn how you can generate high returns daily on the Forex? Many people have been told that the Forex is hard and they think that they can not succeed or that if they do, they will only see a small growth of returns. Some people never even try and others give up quickly when they dont see the types of returns that they expect right away. Many others spend years investing time and time again but they never really achieve high returns on a daily basis. That doesnt have to be true for you anymore with this great system!

If you want to be successful with Forex then you need to stand out somehow. You need to be different from all of the other investors and you need to have an edge over them. So many would-be successful investors spend time studying what the other investors are doing. If you use the strategies of 90% of the other investors, how can you expect to be in the top 10% by means of success? You have to have something that everybody else doesn't have.

How can you learn to generate high returns daily? With this proven- effective investment strategy, you can generate high returns daily even if you have never invested in the foreign exchange before. It works because it combines two revolutionary wealth concepts and an easy to use system that takes only minutes a day. All you do is set the system up with your specific details and it does all the work for you. It will hedge your position for you, it automatically tells you how many lots to buy and it does all the calculations for you so you dont have to.

You can choose the parameters that must be met within your system so you have complete control over your portfolio but the system works to give you the best options and scenarios to help increase your profits to the max! You can set up your system to provide efficient data regarding your trades and to allow you to control exactly how much risk you are willing to take. Your system can be set up to know which currency pairs it plans to trade, how much money you are looking to invest and how much you are willing to invest. Once it is all set up, it does the work for you choosing which trades to make to help you gain a profit.

When I first started researching the Forex I learned that it would take months to learn and studying charts and graphs and a lot of money to get started. Something that a full time job would not allow me to do.

Then a good friend of mine introduced me to a forex investment strategy. He told me how easy it was to learn and how it required no formal training and that I could be up and running in less than 3 hours. He also told me that he was earning monthly what banks and mutual funds were earning yearly.

You can only imagine my skepticism. So I started doing some research on the company and the proprietary software they were using. I took a leap of faith and opened up a demo account, and to my surprise everything that they claimed was true. I can honestly say that I'm earning more a month than my mutual funds and my bank are earning a year. This company does truly care about people and that is rare in this industry. I opened up my Live account on April 10, 2007 and I'm doing very well.

Check it out for yourself.
http://www.forex-for-everyone.com

Hot Share Tips

2007-10-06T17:13:00.001-07:00

It's official! Australia is the largest nation of shareholders with direct share ownership more than doubling since 1997 to 40.6 per cent. That figure rises to 54 per cent of all adult Australians when managed funds are taken into account.

We're also trading more shares. The Australian Stock Exchange reports the average number of trades has nearly trebled in the past year to 79,000 a day.

Large new floats such as Telstra has fueled the growth of private share ownership. For example, almost one million of the two million people who invested in our largest telecommunications company were first time investors. They haven't been disappointed with their return on capital and many have branched out into other well-known stock such as Coles-Myer, Qantas, AMP, Commonwealth Bank and others.

Smaller and less-well known companies are also floating on the stock exchange in record numbers. In the last half of 1999 more than 104 new companies went public.

Share ownership in Australia cuts across all age groups, socio-economic, ethnic and geographical boundaries. The motivation for most investors is to make money and create wealth.

Newer investors have been in a rising or "bull" market and seen their so-called "paper profits" soar. Internet and technology based companies have also been floated in record numbers with astonishing results. Many "Mum and Dad" investors are instant experts and looking for that next "dot com" company on which to make their fortune.

But what are the keys to successful share investing? Ron Bennetts is Principle Manager WA for stockbrokers J.B. Were and author of "The Australian Stock Market: A Guide for Players, Planners and Procrastinators".

His advice is simple, "invest some time as well as money, look for quality management in quality companies with earnings growth."

Bennetts defines these companies as ones that are strong and likely to increase their earnings per share. He believes the technology area is a growth sector and the bubble may burst but there will be growth.

"Look at the companies that have the qualities rather than a marketing plan that has little chance of bearing fruit," he says.

One of the keys too successful investing is diversification and Bennetts says you don't need more than 12 stocks to diversify your portfolio. He also believes 15 per should be overseas shares and this is often 25 per cent for more aggressive investors.

On seeking independent advice versus investing yourself, Bennetts says "the cost of buying and selling is often viewed as a false economy" and suggests first time investors seek professional advice.

Ten Tips for First Time Share Investors

1.Set your objectives and work out a budget for how much you want to invest.

2.Avoid speculating. Do some homework about the risks of investing in the stock market and spend time gaining knowledge on how the stock market works.

3.Take a long-term view of your investment.

4.Avoid reacting to short-term pressure and expect some volatility in the market.

5.Identify quality shares in a growth sector. Look for good quality management in industries likely to grow in the future.

6.Diversify your portfolio to spread your risk. This should ideally include about 10 stocks. Less than 10 are not enough diversification and more than 15 is too hard to handle.

7.Compliment your Australian share portfolio with international shares. Exposure overseas can typically be through managed funds.

8.Buy into a managed fund if you only have small amounts of money to invest. A managed fund is an investment where you have a manager that gives you diversification in pooled funds with other investors. To buy direct most advisors believe you need a minimum of $50,000 to do anything meaningful.

9.Monitor your portfolio as closely as possible on the performance of the companies you are investing in.

10.Seek professional advice from a qualified stockbroker or financial planner.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.

You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom's blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com.

Stock Market Investing

2007-10-06T16:36:00.001-07:00

Investing in the Market - How Stock Market works?

Introduction

Investors around the globe are always eager to convert their hard-earned money into an amount that can secure their life in the years to come in the shortest possible time. Very few investment options can give the result that an investor seeks. Stock Market is one of the options where it is possible. The king of all the investment options where it is possible to earn a fortune overnight is Stock Market. Most Investor believes that stock market investing provides them with the scope of the maximum return in the shortest time.

Role of Stock Market for companies

However, Stock market investing is lucrative; a query should strike the mind of an investor before entering the world of a stock trader, i.e. How Stock Market Works? Stock Broker or an experienced stock trader can help you a lot in clearing your doubts related to your query. It seems a difficult question, but has a simple answer and can be understood without any confusion. Companies are always looking forward to raise their capital for development purposes to get more profit for the organization. They target minor investors for the purpose and the best place to locate them is stock market. To publicize themselves, companies offer a portion (of the overall share of the concern) to public through stock market.

Role of Stock Market for Investors

For investors, stock market and its day trading are the medium from where they look forward to have transactions, i.e. buy or sell, in the stocks that they feel comfortable with. The process of buying or selling of a stock can be achieved in real-time day trading, online stock market, etc.
By understanding the role of stock market in stocks and a stock trader, it is easy to understand the basic working that is involved in stock market. However, an investor who looks forward for extracting maximum tries to gather more and more knowledge on the subject of stock market. To gather better knowledge, it is important for learning the terms involved in the world of day trading, stock broker, stock trader, etc. that includes stock quotes & market capitalization.
Stock Quotes

The most popular of all the terms used in stock market is stock quotes. Stock quotes signify the prices that a stock is transacted in the market. An investor studies the stock quotes regularly through the information available from a stockbroker or another stock trader during the day trading. It helps him in making the best decision in relation to stocks. Stock quotes are controlled by several factors that include economical health, trends in spending & trading and technical or financial report of the company put forward to the investors by the company or experienced stockbroker.

Market Capitalization

Market capitalization is another term that can ring in your ears while you are involved in a conversation whose subject is related to stock market. The term indicates the overall values of companies or stocks that are offered in stock market. Using a simple formula can do calculation of market capitalization of stocks: Number of surplus share in the market X stock quotes.

Buying and Selling of Stocks

The next step after knowing the basic terminologies is learning the procedures for buying and selling of stocks in day trading or online stock market. Buying of stocks is the procedure that requires an appropriate investment amount from a stock trader. This investment amount is utilized in paying for the total amount of the stocks brought along with the commission or the tax charges involved with the transaction. Investor opts for opening investment account with stockbroker that has firm nearby investors location for convenience. However, online stock market has given an option for an online account for investment to a stock trader that allows them to buy without the involvement of a stockbroker. The process that follows the opening of the investment account is funding it for making the purchases. The moment your account receives the apt fund for the purchase, stock buying can be done. The process of selling requires the stock trader to inform their stock broker about the quantity of shares you require to sell and at what stock prices. Online stock market requires the trader to enter the order for sell through their investment account.

Once you understand the proceedings and the working of stock market investing, your success in the field is unstoppable.

Open an account with sogoinvest
If you are new to sogoinvest: Online stock trading investment

The Currency Exchange is the Largest World Market

2007-10-06T15:59:00.001-07:00

Possibly the most appealing point about this form of trading (for those involved in it) is the fact it goes on 24 hours a day. The day could be ending for someone trading on the New York exchange but in Tokyo a new day is only beginning and our US trader would only have to switch exchanges to carry on trading around the clock.

This market is often referred to as the foreign exchange, currency market, forex or FX market and is active anywhere one currency is traded for another and includes trading between large banks, central banks, currency speculators, multinational corporations, governments and other financial markets and institutions. Individuals or retail traders as they are known in the market may not trade directly themselves as they must participate indirectly through brokers or banks and they are by far the smallest sector of this massive market.

Because of the size of this market and because there are no limitations made on what currencies you have to trade, it appeals to many people to want to get involved in this form of trading. Over and above this one can make money when trading on currencies that are gaining in value and make money on falling currencies too. Add to the fact that when trading through brokerages you will be allowed to trade in amounts equal to ten times the amount of money you have on deposit that is to say if one has $1000 on deposit you can trade in amounts up to $10,000 and profit on that as if your were investing $10,000. To show you this point more clearly: if you made a 1% (and this is a much exaggerated example), you could make a $100 gain on your $1000 on deposit. Add all these benefits together and many people think they are into a money making machine. However, be careful because all trades must be finalized at the end of trading each after each trading period and one cant lose their $1000 one day and be able to carry the loss over to the next day in the hope of turning things around.

The other point that appeals to so many people is the fact one does not have to trade for hours on end each day because the currencies are always moving up or down against some other currencies. However, the point to remember is that one really is playing against other traders and so you will always have winners and losers in this game of currency exchange. Many believe there is a fortune to be made for the individual in this form of making money and for a very small percentage of those involved there is and they do make a fortune.

One could say with the advent of the Internet currency exchange has become the gold rush of our times for the individual and that is true in more ways than one. You see the ones who really made money in the gold rush were not the miners but those who supported the miners by supplying them with the tools, food, recreation and all else that is needed to fuel a boom of that nature.

The real winners of the currency exchange will be the businesses supporting the individual currency traders including people offering advice and even training people to become traders in this booming market, not the traders themselves because over 90% of them will fall by the wayside.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Currency Exchange

Aging

2007-10-06T15:21:00.001-07:00

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key. You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

"How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone. But wait! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would! So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92"

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!" May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them."

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, music, art, stock, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge .

8. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

Need help to maintain that Healthy Life Style, or to improve it? I'm over 60 years and about three years ago was told by my Doctor that I had High Blood Pressure, That I was Over Weight ( I knew that) and my liver was in trouble. Doc put me on pills for the blood pressure, I started walking and eating less (not easy) and the liver started to clear-up.

Problem - NO Energy, Looked like a Million Dollars (ALL GREEN AND WRINKLED) I mean NO ENERGY, I just wanted to sleep all the time. Doctor took blood and ran test and came back with, Your anemic and need to take food supplements. So I did, got the best over the counter brand that I could and faithfully downed those pills every meal. Results - Not much - Tried different brands, no changes, So I started reading and learned that Liquid Supplements are much easier for your digestive system to assimilate than pills. That with pills you get may be 40% of what is in the pills into your system, But with liquids you retain 80 to 90% of the nutrients in your system. My Solution A Recognized Path To A Physically and Fiscally Healthy Lifestyle.

Pro Image International was founded in 1995 by CEO Tony Shaw, and is a debt-free, privately-held company with a solid reputation for it's commitment to excellence, integrity and the unmatched quality of it's products. "As The Healthy Lifestyle Company, our mission is to utilize the most recent advances in nutritional science to realistically improve your prospects for a better quality of life and good health as you age. We assure you that we will never compromise the integrity of the products, nor the philosophy that stands behind them. Our values are rooted in a customers-first tradition."

I was so impressed with the results that I obtained in just 90 days that I have become a distributor for PROImage.

Go to site http://www.prosperity-plus.ws

W. L. Anderson
nnarc22@att.net
California /NorCal/USA

William L. Anderson
65 years of age.
Married 36 years and going strong.
8 years Military & 22 years in law enforcement.
5 children, ages 33 to 42, 12 grandchildren, raising 3 of them.
Retired in 1992, enjoy fishing and playing with grandkids.

How You Can Benefit From Trading Forex

2007-10-06T14:44:00.001-07:00

If you have been thinking about currency trading as a means of making money, here are some things you should think about before you begin the process of buying and selling currency.

You will find that there are many sites on the Internet that are more than happy to have you register for a free account to purchase and sell currency.

However, you want to make sure you read the fine print before you commit to any program. Some of them work off a structure in which they will get a percentage of each transaction completed.

In some cases, this could leave you with less in the way of assets than you had to begin with.

Other sites will charge a flat rate per transaction, which is a little better, since you will now know what it will cost you to make the transaction in advance.

However, there are a number of sites that will charge you a flat monthly fee and allow you to make unlimited transactions during the course of the month.

If you are truly serious about buying and selling currency, this will be the model that you want to seek out.

No doubt someone has told you that you do not need to know a lot in order to jump into buying and selling currency. This is incorrect information.

While it is true you do not have to be an investing whiz or an economics major in order to be successful with this type of venture, it is important to remember that knowledge is always empowering.

You can find several excellent tutorials online that will help you grasp the basics of the process, including some tips on what sort of signs you need to note before buying or selling anything.

Several excellent choices are perfectly free, so you will not have to invest a lot of money in getting up to speed, just some of your time.

Of course, it is always a good idea to have input from an expert before you begin any type of moneymaking venture.

If you have access to someone in the financial community, get input on what they think about the various online trading sites. You may be able to get some references for one or two outstanding sites.

Once you have a list compiled of potential sites to sign up with, do more searches on the Internet and see what type of comments you can find about the veracity and integrity of those sites. You can do this by looking at and joining online Forex forums.

While the chances of coming across a site, that has no negative comments posted somewhere on the Internet, you may very well be able to find enough data that will help you pick an option that will make your on line Forex trading a lot of fun and very profitable.

It should be noted Forex trading involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for all investors.

About the Author: Receive a Free ebook that reveals Forex trading secrets and shows how you can make great returns on your capital click on the link below: Free Forex Trading Secrets Ebook

Digital Photography - 11 Tips For Taking Better Digital Photographs Of Jewelry And Craft Items

2007-10-06T14:07:00.001-07:00

I am often asked by jewelry and craft artists what they can do to improve their photography. Here are my top 11 tips for anyone that has problems taking great digital photographs.

1.Use a tripod and the camera self-timer. Using these two items at all times will give you clear and sharp photographs.

2.Keep the background clean and uncluttered. Remove any unnecessary items from the area that you are taking the photograph. This will also keep your eyes from being distracted from the subject of the photograph.

3.Move the camera as close to the subject as possible. Use the viewing screen on the camera, and fill up the screen as much as possible. This may mean that you will need to use the macro setting on your camera. Refer to your owners manual for the distances that the camera is designed for using the macro setting.

4.Keep your subject of the photograph focused. Nobody likes to look at a photograph that is out of focus. If your photo is not focused properly, then retake the photograph.

5.Avoid dark shadows. Use indirect sunlight, flash or other lighting sources for photographing your jewelry or craft items. Indirect sunlight is the best lighting source for photography.

6.Before you set up your camera equipment, have an idea in your mind of how you want the photograph to appear, when you view the finished photo.

7.Enhance your photographs by resizing, cropping, sharpening, rotating (when necessary), and compressing the image. Try to take your photographs so that you only have to do a minimum amount of enhancement. For example, you should not have to remove unwanted objects from the photo.

8.Read the camera owners manual and become familiar with all of the features of your camera. For example, some of the things that you should become familiar with are the self-timer, setting the white balance and the exposure values, how to take photographs using the manual or macro focusing settings, how to use the built in flash, how to zoom in and out from the subject of the photograph, and how to set the resolution you are going to use for taking your photographs.

9.Dont be afraid to experiment in taking photos. Try using different techniques for taking your photographs. Use a different camera angle, different lighting, rotate the object of the photograph, try different background colors, and try different exposure values for your photographs. You will never know what will or will not work unless you try using different techniques in your photography. You may be surprised at how well a new technique that you used actually makes your photographs turn out.

10. Do not expect to get the perfect photograph by taking just one or two photographs of an item. It may happen once in a while, but very seldom. I am rarely able to take just one or two photographs of an item that I want to photograph, and consider the photograph to be the best photo that I can possibly take. Expect to take five or more photographs before you are able to get the perfect photo.

11. If you use the cameras built in flash for your jewelry and craft photography, use the power cord that comes with your camera to generate the maximum amount of light output from the cameras flash unit for every photo that you take. As the cameras batteries start to discharge as you are using your camera, with or without using the flash, the light output from the cameras flash unit will decrease.

By using all of above tips when photographing jewelry and small craft items, you should see an immediate improvement in your photography.

You may want to print this tip sheet so that you can refer to it when you are doing photography.

Jim Juris

Jim Juris is a photographer who specializes in craft and jewelry photography. He has written an ebook titled- Inexpensive Jewelry Photography Techniuqes: How to use inexpensive techniques to photograph jewelry, craft, collectible, and online auction items. To learn more about his ebook, please visit http://www.inexpensivejewelryphotography.com Jim provides two free excerpts from his ebook on his web site.

Forex Trading The Risk and Perils of Currency Trading

2007-10-06T14:04:00.001-07:00

You will often read about the advantages of currency trading but you will rarely see the risk of currency trading mentioned, yet 90% of currency traders lose.

This article will look at the risks of currency trading and why this creates a vast majority of losing traders who wipe out their equity.

Lets look at the advantages first.

1. Profit opportunities all the time

As one currency is rising another must be falling creating constant opportunities for profit.

2. Liquidity & 24 hour trading

The markets are very liquid and trade 24 hours a day with literally trillions of dollars

3. The markets trend well

As currencies reflect economic conditions around the world they exhibit good long term trends

4. Leverage

You can trade on leverage and trade many times over the funds you have in your account

So with these great advantages why do traders lose?

The answer is traders cannot handle points 3 and 4, they see these as easy to deal with and these are not. Lets take a look why.

Currency markets trend well

Yes they do, but they only show reliable trends in longer time frames.

Most traders opt for short term day trading methods.

As moves within a day are random they get stopped out continuously and never run their profits.

Furthermore, even long term traders have no idea of how to deal with volatility and stop placement and continually get stopped out or bank profits early by not taking enough risk.

Traders are in many instances so concerned about reducing risk they actually create a scenario where they cant win.

Add Leverage

Leverage and volatility is a combination that makes risk management hard for even the most seasoned traders.

With leverage you need to study volatility and make sure your stops are not to close and that they are not trailed to quickly if you really want to make the big profits from the big moves.

Currency trends are easy to see in hindsight on a chart.

Its a fact that most traders are good at picking market direction, but they keep getting stopped out.

The main reasons for this are poor entry methods, trading to short term, or not having an understanding of volatility and risk.

Currency trading looks easy but few succeed.

If you are a new trader avoid day or intra day trading and trade longer term and get an understanding of volatility and how to place stops correctly and manage risk, so you can stay in the long term trends.

90% fail why should you succeed?

Ask yourself the above question.

If you dont know the answer, then brush up on dealing with leverage and volatility quickly or lose your money.

You cant avoid risk and you will only win in currency trading if you know how to manage it correctly and take calculated risks at the right time.

Leveraged currency trading can give you big profits, but it is very risky, dont let anyone else tell you otherwise.

MORE ESSENTIAL TRADER PDF's and MUCH MORE

On all aspects of becoming a profitable trader including features systems and FREE FOREX PDF's visit http://www.net-planet.org/index.html"

Day Trading Your Way To Success

2007-10-05T23:10:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in day trading you first need to know what it is all about and to understand the basics of day trading. For starters, a day trader is a person who is very active in the stock market and makes several trades a day in an attempt to make quick gains by buying and selling stocks in a short time span.

As the market is never the same day to day, no one particular day trading strategy will work each time. To be successful, you first need to understand how the market works and get a feel for the market.

This includes recognizing the stocks' basic trend, the long and short setups, when to enter a trade, and where to place stops. Another very important basic is how to protect your profits and minimize losses.

Once you have learned the basics and are ready to try your first day trade, here are some tips and guidelines you should keep in mind that is essential to your success as a day trader.

Being a day trader requires a lot of time and practice before you get used to the everyday volatility in the market. Do not expect to become an expert day trader overnight. No matter how many books you have read or day traders you have watched, that will not make you an immediate expert.

There are day trading websites that simulate trading. Practice with their trading platform first before trying out the real thing. It could save you a lot of money and you will learn the ropes faster this way.

If you are ready for real live trading, do not be scared by the thought of losing money. There are ways to minimize your loss such as with stop orders.

If you lose money, do not worry, as some loss is to be expected. Just remember, with increased experience and sensitivity to the market, you will start turning a profit soon.

If you profit large sums of money, stop trading. Do not gamble it away by trying to gain even larger profits. You can always trade another day.

Sometimes the market will not perform as you expected. When you encounter this situation, it is best that you do not trade at all.

Once you gain more experience in day trading, you may be able to predict the direction of a stock price. However, try not to pick top stocks or bottom stocks. This is one of the most common mistakes of a beginner.

If you cannot predict where the market is heading, it is best if you stand aside and wait, or you can always go home and trade again another day.

It is a good idea to record all of your day trading results. This way you can learn what works and what does not, and be more effective in trading.

Observe good traders. Look at how and when they sell or buy. Generally, good day traders often buy on bad news and sell on good news.

Beginners often get emotional in their trades. Avoid this at all cost, stay emotionally detached and professional.

Learn to trust your instincts. Relying too much on analysis may mean letting a few good trades slip away from you.

As you gain experience, you will see that different day trading strategies are required on different days and required on different stocks. Be flexible.

Bad day traders often focus on too many stocks that are not manageable and often lose track on where each stock is heading. It is wise to limit your stocks in manageable numbers.

With patience and practice, you can be successful in day trading, and as your experience grows so do your profits. Everyday you can learn new day trading strategies in the market, which you can use to your advantage.

For a more in-depth look at day trading drop by Susan's site at Day Trading Strategy. Susan also enjoys writing on a variety of topics at Health and Fitness Hub.

Contrary Trading - 2 Indicators for Big Profits a Live Example

2007-10-05T22:04:00.000-07:00

Here we are going to give you two indicators to use with simple support or resistance to isolate contrary trades that offer great returns and low risk.

We are going to apply them to a live example shaping up right now.

The indicators we are going to use are:

RSI To spot the turn.

And

Stochastics to time entry.

Both these are explained in other articles; here we are going to show you the set up.

Pull up a chart service such as Futuresource.com and go to the Dollar v Yen chart.

If you look at the dollar yen you will see the price falling toward support nearby support is the recent double bottom then the December low.

Now look at the RSI each time it has fallen to oversold levels (the bottom black line) prices have bounced near these levels and risen.

Watch the RSI carefully as we approach oversold levels which we are now.

Now its time to look for support to hold.

To do this use the best timing indicator the stochastic.

At present both lines of the stochastic are pointing down showing weak price momentum.

Wait

Watch for the lines to cross to the upside with bullish divergence indicating that price momentum is turning to the upside above support.

This means the bulls should take charge and only a break below Decembers low on a close basis puts the yen bulls in charge.

Right or wrong, this trade will give low risk and high odds of bounce in the dollar.

If the trade were stopped out the risk would be low, but the bounce if this level holds should be strong.

The key is to wait for price momentum to change - with a bullish stochastic momentum turn to the upside and not simply enter and hope support holds.

The RSI helps you spot the trade and the stochastic gives an idea of the change in momentum and when to take the trade.

Using RSI, support or resistance and stochastics is simple but can be very effective at spotting high return low risk trades.

Try the combination for yourself and see how effective it can be.

FREE ESSENTIAL TRADER PDF'S AND MUCH MORE

On all aspects of becoming a profitable trader including features, downloads and some great FREE Trading PDF's visit our website at http://www.net-planet.org/index.html

Financial Spread Betting - 10 Strategies To Help Create Success

2007-10-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

Financial spread betting is easier to understand than many believe. This simple ten point guide offers you the tools to enter the financial spread betting market with more understanding.

1. Practice makes perfect
If you are a novice then the world of financial spread betting is full of dangers. I would suggest opening up a demo account. There are plenty of companies that will allow you to do this. They usually give you up to 10,000 to play trade with. Get comfortable and then go to real money.

2. When opening up a real account
Companies will let you set up for as little as 200. I would suggest setting up your first account with a minimum of 1,000. This will allow you to absorb more losses than with 200 or 500, keep your betting size to small fraction. I suggest that 2% is an ideal maximum risk but with a small account 5% is generally figure used.

3. Start Slow
The UK FTSE 100 is a good place to begin. The blue chip stocks are even better as they are more liquid. The US stock market and Forex (Foreign Exchange) is generally too volatile for a beginner.

4. Increasing your profits
The best time to bet is when you believe the market is going to move sharply either up or down. This is done only by studying the market and noticing trends and practicing also helps. There is software to buy that can help you predict the market.

5. Never Average Down
This means simply never increase you position when the market moves against you. Although if you are up then increasing you position can be advisable; a good example would be when you open at 1 a point on the FTSE at 6000, stop loss at 5900. The market moves to 6100. That means a profit of 100. In this example you buy another 50p and moving your stop to 6000. Should the market move against you, you will break even on the 1 point per trade but be 50 up on the 50p per point trade. (If this doesnt seem to make sense just read again slowly and it will become clearer).

6. Daily Bets
If you decide to bet daily make sure that you have access to the all information constantly. For the beginner it is easy to spot general trends that take place over days rather than hours. Daily betting can lead to small losses accumulating into large sums. The desire to cover you losses becomes greater.

7. When betting
To make sure that you are covered always use firms that give firm quotes on the screen. Use proper regulated firms. There are unscrupulous people out there who will not think twice about taking your money.

8. Telephone betting
If you close a deal by phone then state your requirements firmly and accurately (ask them to repeat back to make sure). Check you contract note carefully and never ever expect advice as it is against the law.

9. Minimising your losses
When placing your bet always use a stop loss (maybe even a guaranteed stop loss) and perhaps a limit order. This will then protect you if the market suddenly turns against you.

10. Profits
In the first six months dont expect to make a profit. You will be refining your technique in the real world environment. Please be strict with yourself and bank even small profits rather than betting them again for bigger gain. It will take a long time before you know technical analysis very well. The first six months will also be about finding out about yourself and if you can deal with losing money. If you cant handle the fear of losing money then step away.

Financial betting can be confusing and scary. If you feel overwhelmed then just sit back watch the markets and wait until you feel safe to stick your toe back in the water. When you start to master the intricacies of financial spread betting then it can be a rewarding and even fun experience.

The financial spread betting review website offers an simple guide to financial spread betting The website is owned by Jamie Forston-Merrel a fianancial analysist from London.

One Of The Most Important Formulas An Investor Can Use

2007-10-05T20:23:00.001-07:00

If you're investing in real estate as a source of income, or to turn a profit, one of the most important formulas you'll encounter is the capitalization rate on a revenue producing property. If you're an experienced investor, a lot of this is going to seem old hat, but to show how all the pieces fit together, we're going to have to cover everything carefully.

The first is an acronym, NOI or Net Operating Income. Net Operating Income is a subset of the more commonly used terms "EBIT" and "EBITDA". EBIT is "Earnings Before Interest and Taxes" and EBITDA is "Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization". For the most part, we can treat NOI as a synonym for EBIT, and since NOI is the term most commonly used when evaluating income generating properties, we're going to use it instead of EBIT. As always, this sort of advice is meant to give you a layman's perspective; do talk to your financial advisor about this.

NOI can be characterized as "Are we turning a profit yet?" It's a very simple calculation take the money that's coming in, subtract the routine operating expenses (like rents going out, utilities, maintenance costs that accrue monthly, and salaries) and what's left over is your positive cash flow, or net operating income. This does not take into account interest payments on the debt used to secure the property, or the pinch from taxes. A more formalized accounting term also deducts depreciation and amortization of fixed expenses; while those are important if you're holding on to the property for income generation, from the perspective of someone considering the purchase of a property.

When evaluating commercial properties for purchase, NOI is one of three critical evaluation criteria. In general, you want to buy properties that have a low NOI and improve them if you want to turn the property over quickly for a reasonable profit in a short period of time. If you're looking at doing a "buy and hold" strategy, of owning rental property for the purposes of generating regular income from it, you'll want one with a good NOI, preferably one that can be improved for a little bit of investment and improvement.

The next criterion to consider is purchase price. Purchase price is market driven. It's what the seller (or the mortgage broker) is trying to get for it, based on similar properties in the region, or on physical features of the property. In the current real estate market, the asking value price is particularly volatile. Take the sale price of six similar properties, throw out the high value and the low value, and average what's left, and be sure to check this regularly update this metric at least once a month.

For commercial or revenue generating properties, there's also a third metric to consider, capitalization rate. Capitalization rate is a measure of the ratio of annualized cash flow (NOI) divided by the purchase price of the property. For example, if you're looking at buying an apartment building with 16 apartments, each of which generates $600/month in rent, and has fixed monthly costs in salaries and maintenance budget of $4,000 per month, the net annual income at 12 out of 16 units occupied is (600*12= $7,200-$4,000) or $3,200 per month. Multiply this by 12, or a net annual income of $38,400, for an average occupancy of 75%. If the purchase price of the property were $400,000, the cap rate is $38,400/$400,000, or 9.6%.

Cap rate provides a "reality check" on requested purchase prices; for most of the US, typical income property cap rates range from 3%, for properties with high tenancy values and steady income generation, to upwards of 12-13% for run down properties in bad neighborhoods. If you assess the current value of the leases signed by tenants at a presumed cap rate of 7-9%, you'll get a good bellweather on how sane the asking price of the property is.

For example, the property we mentioned above, that generates $38,400 in annual income at 75% occupancy, divided by 0.08, has a "cap rate" derived baseline price of $480,000. It's example asking price of $400,000 is actually pretty low based on typical market conditions. On the other hand, if the asking price were $700,000, with a cap rate of 5.4%, it's probably not something you're going to earn out on quickly as a buy and hold property, though you may be able to pursue a buy and re-sell strategy with it with some success, if there are obvious improvements that can be made to improve tenancy, or justify rent increases.

While Cap Rate, and deriving an income based cap-rate "asking price" are useful, remember that all three factors Net Operating Income, purchase price, and cap rate are all intertwined variables. Look for things like seasonal renting patterns; for example, properties near college campuses bring new tenants in with the ebb and flow of semesters. If you're looking for a "buy and hold" strategy, properties near college campuses can be quite worthwhile, albeit prone to a bit more maintenance woes than might otherwise be the case. If you're looking for a "buy and sell" strategy, look for properties that can be fixed up, and use the cap rate and NOI calculations to find properties that are undervalued by the market.

Whichever strategy you pursue, remember that patience pays for itself in real estate investment. The aim is to make your money work on your behalf, by buying properties that either generate an income for you to live off of, or by buying properties that can be turned over within a year or so of capital improvements.

Tony Seruga, Yolanda Seruga and Yolanda Bishop of Maverick Real Estate Investments, Inc. work with builders, developers and other players in the commercial real estate industry to acquire and develop properties. They use progressive investment strategies that have proved extremely profitable. In addition to their own deals, they teach both seasoned and inexperienced investors how to be big players in the game. Visit the website for more info.

Is Using A Domestic Forex Broker Better?

2007-10-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

In the business of foreign exchange (FOREX) trading, the number of brokers worldwide is rapidly increasing. It is no wonder, since FOREX is becoming more and more popular with the masses. Brokers provide the online platforms for these budding retail traders to use. In the scheme of things, one will inevitably find that FOREX brokers are not all equal in many respects. In deciding which broker to use, a trader will consider many variables, including, but not limited to, the minimum deposit amount for opening an account; margin requirements; the spread (brokers compensation) for the currency pairs traded; ease of use regarding the platform traded on; risk management features provided, such as stops, trailing stops and limits; and, the reputation of the broker in dealing reliably and fairly with its customers.

Another matter for consideration in the comparison analysis would be determining the country in which the broker is domiciled and primarily operates. Because the internet attempts to make global trading a seamless experience, one could easily overlook the fact that the company he or she is seeking to do business with online is located entirely in another country. Furthermore, even if this fact is known, one may ask why it makes a difference. We are, after all, engaged in international trading of sorts, and will probably never meet anyone from the brokers office face to face anyway. The question is a fair one which deserves a fair answer.

Lets start with the fact that, at some point, you may wish to withdraw all or a portion of your funds from your FOREX brokerage account. Domestic transfer of funds, whether by bank wire or otherwise, is usually faster than international transfers. This would be a significant factor, if you needed to access your money in a hurry. In addition, due to such laws as the U.S. Patriot Act, international transfers of monies, especially larger sums, attract greater scrutiny by government and financial agencies and may, in fact, significantly delay receipt of funds withdrawn.

Most online brokers have a terms of use agreement which you must accept in order to become a customer. A careful reading of the agreement is necessary for you to understand applicable provisions, including those which may limit your remedies, define the legal forum in which you may seek such remedies, and describe the type of trading procedures and strategies which you may or may not utilize on the chosen platform. If, for example, a foreign broker limits the forum for seeking your remedies to the courts or arbitrators of that particular country, then your ability to be successful in seeking your remedy is severely hampered by the distance between you and the country where the broker is located. Naturally, it would be more beneficial to you if there was an affiliate office for the broker in the country of your residence. Still, the terms of use will control the choice of jurisdiction and venue, as well as the type of resolution possible. The bottom line here would be to read the terms of use very carefully before parking your funds at any brokerage.

Do not forget the fact that the FOREX is unregulated as a worldwide market. There is no central authority regulating the entire industry. Each country can chose to regulate FOREX trading within its own territory. However, this localized authority will do little to affect the overall market. A trader who chooses, therefore, to trade with a foreign broker must consider the possibility that if there is a dispute with the broker, the trader will have to find a lawyer familiar with the laws of the country in question. Such necessity could be the source of tremendous frustration in matters such as unfamiliar billing practices, elevated expenses due to distance, time zone differences, as well as language and cultural barriers.

In conclusion, although the internet will continue to blur the lines of international commerce, choosing a domestic broker seems preferable to a foreign broker for the reasons stated above. Being able to save a pip or two on a narrower spread available from a foreign broker may not be enough to overcome the frustrations of a deal gone bad, if such should happen. In the event you choose a foreign broker, it is better to deal with one which has a domestic presence through an affiliated office. Accessibility in a time of need lends a tremendous sense of comfort. In any event, read the terms of use very carefully, as this will be the primary document for determining your rights and obligations.

If you are ready to change your future by stepping into the exciting world of trading FOREX, go to winningtradersassociation.com for more information. Sandy Robinson, J.D. is part of the Winning Traders Association, an educational organization founded by John Beiler, President. The organization consists of a network of committed trainers and motivated traders willing to provide support to those interested in trading foreign exchange. Many of the members work from home.

SECTION 409(A) and its Regulatory Cousins - What it Means for Private Companies

2007-10-05T19:15:00.001-07:00

The IRS recently threw down the gauntlet and placed pressure on private companies to get their valuations right at no matter what stage of development they are. The Service has backed up this gesture by exposing private companies to substantial tax liabilities and penalties if they do not.

Since the enactment of Section 409(A), non-public companies have struggled with how they should establish that the exercise price of a stock option or a stock appreciation right (SAR) was determined reasonably to be fair market value. Up to this point, most private companies did not worry about valuing their stock very often, if at all. Private company valuations were needed usually for an imminent transaction, for an ESOP, or for estate and gift tax purposes. One could also throw in serious IPO candidates who obtain a valuation to avoid a "cheap stock" issue with the SEC.

Many private companies do not qualify for any of these scenarios; therefore they have not needed valuations in the past. As a result, companies and management that issue stock options could be somewhat unenthusiastic about this development. However, although a valuation in this situation can appear fairly cumbersome and superfluous, it's not all bad - just ask auditors.

Auditors have expressed a desire for this to be done for years. They are cognizant of this development because valuing stock options is a financial reporting issue under FAS 123 and they want to know how a private company established the strike price of its options. There is some liability risk attributed to auditors when they sign off on this standard, and a professional valuation provides them with a level of reasonableness and reassurance that they desire. Considering this, there is a potential for tax and financial reporting synergy here.

With a good valuation report on hand, both issues could be satisfied simultaneously - two birds with one stone if you will. First, let's examine the code and regulations driving this change.

Say Hello to the Culprits: IRC Section 409A requires private companies which award stock options that have exercise prices below fair market value to withhold income taxes on these grants. Significant penalties on non-complying option grants have placed private or closely held companies under increased pressure to be able to support and defend the fair market value determinations.

FASB 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation, provides alternative methods of transition for a voluntary change to the fair value method of accounting for stock-based employee compensation. FASB 15X (Working Draft - issued October 21, 2005), Fair Value Measurements, established a framework for measuring fair value under a wide variety of accounting pronouncements that require fair value measurements.

In developing FASB 15X, the Financial Accounting Standards Board considered the need for increased consistency and comparability in estimates of fair value and enhanced disclosures about the estimates.

In most cases, when company management determines value and option pricing using an informal, internally generated valuation, the tax burden will be on the company to prove to the IRS that the fair market value of the equity is reasonable. In light of the recent regulatory changes announced over the past year, many private companies are proactively adopting one of the "presumptive" stock valuation methods set forth in the proposed regulations.

Procuring a qualified independent appraisal will cause the burden of proof to shift to the IRS and may only be rebutted by the IRS if the application of the method is found to be grossly unreasonable.

Bryce Erickson is Vice President of Dallas-based Erickson Partners, LLC, who have provided independent, accurate, defensible opinions, business valuations & business appraisals for over 30 years. For more information, check out http://www.ericksonpartnersllc.com

Forex Trading - Mindset of The Millionaire Forex Pro's

2007-10-05T18:09:00.001-07:00

Forex trading can be learned by anyone yet few succeed so what separates winners from losers? While a method is important, so to is the right mindset and here we will look at 3 character traits all the top traders have.

1. Success Comes From Within

Top traders do their homework and devise a trading logic and forex trading strategy they know backwards in terms of how and why it works and why it will be successful.

Contrast this with the amount of losing traders who buy an e-book from a vendor and then blame them, when the few hundred bucks they spent, didnt make them rich! what did they expect?

Other traders blame anyone they can - from the market, to their broker and squeal like babies when they lose They are forgetting that they are responsible for their destiny, no one else.

Winners accept this and rely on themselves and so must you.

2. Confidence

If you have done your homework you will have confidence in your forex trading strategy and confidence is essential, as you have to follow your method through losing periods and know in your own mind, that you can emerge from periods of losses and emerge a winner longer term.

All successful forex pros have this trait and you need it to, as it leads onto a trait that is absolutely vital to forex trading success:

3. Discipline

This trait is needed to execute a method rigidly and not deviate from it.

Keep in mind if you cant follow your method with discipline, you dont have one in the first place.

If you think it is easy, think again its tough even for seasoned pros.

Many traders have great methods but fail due to lack of discipline.

Confronting the Beast

Trading forex is hard as only you can be wrong (its always right) it will make you look stupid (it does this to all traders) and it moves where and when it wants and there is nothing you can do about it!

However you can win you just need to obey its rules.

You are like a ships captain on the ocean. You need to obey its law and understand everything about it to travel on it safely.

For this you need to have knowledge, confidence in your ability and the discipline, to plot the right course If you can do this - just like the ocean has unlimited riches so does the forex market.

If you respect it and confront it with the right mindset you can win if you dont you will drown its as simple as that.

GRAB 3 X FREE TRADER PDF'S NEWSLETTERS AND MUCH MORE!

Stock Trading Tips For The Online Stock Trader

2007-10-05T16:51:00.001-07:00

Day trading is both art and science. When operating your stock trading business you will eventually get to the point where you can use your gut or instincts. When you are just starting out however you should rely on very specific paramters to enter or exit a trade as well as how to manage risk in each trade.

Identifying Significant Reference Points

When trading stock for a living, you obviously want to know what you are going to do next in a given price action scenario. The key to maximizing profits and minimizing risk lies in being able to anticipate where other traders are probably going to take action.

Using charts in your day trading, your objective is to locate areas where you believe traders will initiate a position or exit a position. Once you have identified those areas, you MUST begin to form if-then scenarios about how other stock traders will react if the expectations they had about the trade are met, or just as important, if they are not met.

What I mean by this is simple, while you are trading, you should always be prepared for any scenario, meaning what needs to happen for me to initiate a trade or exit a trade. Most traders are looking at the same intra day information, once you understand fully what you will do under any circumstance, you will have a much better idea how the majority will react.

If you are in an uptrend and get long, what does price action and volume need to look like in order for you to no longer to want to be in the trade any more? Now here is something I hear very often from traders who are disciplined, I am getting stop loss to death. I am correct on most of my trades and make no money.

How do you solve this dilemma? The first technique is asking yourself two simple but very important questions. Did the circumstances for my trade scenario change or is this move just noise? How do you know the difference? The answer is simple, pay attention to the tape, the volume printing in time and sales. Did significant volume hit the tape that would tell you large traders have an urgency to buy or sell shares? Or did price move without many shares trading hands? If price moved but few shares traded, your original idea is still probably valid! Stick with the trade.

The second method to earning what you should when your call on the trade scenario is correct is utilizing time tested order entry techniques.

Order Entry Techniques

Understanding how to manage share size is crucial to your success as a trader. Money management is how much capital you will allocate to a particular trade; risk management is how you will manage that capital. Risk scenarios will include stop los parameters and share size allocated to the trade based on stop loss points and risk per trade as defined by money management.

Too many traders make the mistake of trading the same share size all the time, regardless of conditions or risk points. I often hear My share lot is 1,000 shares per trade. Wow this is a huge mistake. To be a consistent stock trader you need a predefined plan for how you will acquire the shares for a trade. Simply put, if you want to get to 1,000 shares for a trade scenario, how are you going to get them?

We recommend two strategies. One is building a position in a strong trend the second is entering a small portion of your intended total position and adding to it only when the position has moved in your favor.

In order to build a position you must have confidence in the strength of the trend. If your goal for example is to have 1,000 shares of a stock, you would buy the 1,000 shares in pieces as the stock pulls back or pauses in the trend. You may do it in two or three pieces, for example 400, 300, 300 for a 1,000 share total for the position.

I can hear what you are thinking, why is he telling me to average down? Averaging down means you wanted 1,000 shares, got 1,000 shares, the trade moves against you and you go get another 1,000 shares. That is like marrying the same woman you got divorced from, getting more of what is not working. To build a position like this you will need to identify a window where you would expect the pullback to stop, we teach in our Equity Trader 101 course to use the 20SMA as the area we anticipate the pull back to stop. Stop loss will be based on the full size position.

The second method is price confirmation. Using this method you will enter one third to half of your total position. When and only when the position moves in your favor you will add to it. Using this method it is common to scratch a few trades, take a few small losses and small profits until you finally feel comfortable that you have a good head start on the trade in your intended direction.

Obviously re entry is a big part of this method. Think carefully about what this method is allowing you to you to do, you are wrong on the fewest shares and correct on the most shares. It is terrific money and risk management. It will prevent you from being in a position where you will need to be perfect on your entry, you will gain valuable information based on how easy or difficult it was to get filled.

If you would like some help with any of the topics covered in this newsletter, please feel free to send me an email and we can work on it together. prenzulli@keystonetradinggroup.com

If you are trading remote and not taking advantage of the leverage and competitive fee structure available from Keystone Trading Group, please send an email to info@keystonetradinggroup.com to inquire about rates or extra intra day buying power. Please be sure to put in the headline the subject for the email so that it can be directed to the proper department.

Once again thank you for deciding to receive our educational newsletter on your path to becoming a complete trader.

http://keystonetradinggroup.com/

The founders and instructors of Keystone Trading Group have managed a profitable short term trading desk for the last seven years. Our specialty is stock trades lasting from 10 minutes to five days

Canary Wharf - The New Reality

2007-10-05T15:34:00.001-07:00

How many mystics are there in Canary Wharf in London's Docklands? Yes, we all know about the bankers. Canary Wharf is one of the biggest financial/banking areas in the world, but little is known about the other side of this famous place. I'm talking about the hidden side - the shamans, soothsayers, sages, money-fuelled zombies and even gods.

Mysticism has taken off in Canary Wharf in a way that would have shocked people only a few years ago. Merchant banks such as Dodger Coombes are employing money mystics - these peculiar people who can see how the markets will be in a month's time, and quite often a year's time. Their skills are invaluable. Tatum Jones from the Dodger Coombes prediction department says, 'We need mystics now. We can't compete without them. And we are also considering getting a few shamans in. I've heard the students at the Chaos College of Finance in the City are coming along in leaps and bounds. We hope to employ a few of them as soon as they get their diplomas.'

Where will it all end? The City of London also has its fair share of mystics, but until now financial centres overseas - such as Wall Street - have resisted. This could be changing. I recently reported that a statue of Big Herb the money god has been erected on Wall Street. They seem to like it over there. I believe within the next year banks and other financial businesses worldwide will be employing mystical workers as a matter of course. It makes sense. It is the way to go.

Michael Fowke writes at http://moneyistheway.blogspot.com/

Etopps Trading Cards - The Next Generation Of Sports Card Collecting

2007-10-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

Im sure at one point or another you may have purchased a pack of baseball cards, whether they are for yourself or others. We all had the concerns of what cards we would get and the condition in which they came --and were kept-- in. The number one sports card producer, Topps, has helped to take the guess work out of the card industry. How have they done this? Theyve created a unique card collecting site named Etopps.

What is Etopps? Well, Etopps is an online community that allows you to buy, sell and trade exclusive cards from Topps Inc. Currently, sports offered are Baseball, Basketball & Football. Etopps has also recently signed a deal with the WWE to begin producing wrestling trading cards.

Etopps itself operates as a quasi style stock market, with a pricing system that looks similar to that of a NYSE stock.

New cards are offered each Monday and are given an IPO price (Initial Public Offering) and a Print Run, which is the maximum number of cards that will be produced of the player in question. At the end of the week all buy orders are calculated and the cards are then distributed to a purchasers account.

The online trading and selling capabilities helps to create a liquid market. By liquid, we mean it is very easy to buy and sell an Etopps card. Traditional sports cards are typically traded on

Once inside your account, you will know have four different options. The first is to hold keep your card. The second is to trade your card with others in the Etopps community. The third option is to have a physical card shipped to you. But you will have to pay a shipping few and you will lose the liquidity of the online Etopps market. The fourth and final option is to sell your card to another Etopper. Selling is mostly done on Ebay, and obviously the goal is to sell your card for more than you paid for it. The trick is, like with any market, is to buy low and sell high.

Next time around will take a more in-depth look into some of the strategies involved with trading in the Etopps marketplace.

Matthias Koster, runs http://mretopps.com - Mr Etopps, a website devoted to anylazing the Etopps market.

Trading and Investing in Stocks and Shares - An Introduction

2007-10-05T14:24:00.001-07:00

There is a lot of money to be made from stocks and shares but the only hitch is nobody knows a sure fire way of a method. Let us now see some of the basics of stocks and shares. You can earn money in two ways by investing in stocks and shares. One is trading and the other is investing.

Buying and selling stocks, shares, futures and options over a short period of time is known as trading. If you buy shares, stocks, futures and options and retain them for a longer period of time then it is known as investing.

Besides the above, there is no get rich quick scheme which works. If such schemes work then almost everybody would be a millionaire. Money can be made by selling stocks and shares but it cannot be done quickly by buying and selling without reason. The patient, careful and intelligent investors definitely make big profits in the stock market when compared to the overeager and reckless speculator.

Stocks and shares should be bought when their prices are low and wait for the price to rise to earn a decent profit over a longer period of time.

A prudent investor should not worry about the downs and ups and look for the long-term cycles. If these simple principals are not followed, there is not going to be any profit for an investor.

Presuming it is going to fetch more money, never buy a stock or share when the price is going up, it is wrong. If the peak price is reached at the time of buying then the investor will be holding a stock or share of which its price will be slowly sliding down and you will ultimately end up with a loss

There are certain golden rules to be followed when investing money in stocks. Never invest more than three percent of the total portfolio in one stock. Over time, a successful investor should make all efforts to protect the capital base.

When a wrong decision is made, accept it and cut down the loss immediately by five to fifteen percent rather than wait for more time thinking the situation will improve. Follow the performance of the stock and never deviate from the stop loss point to limit the loss in case the stock does not perform up to the expected standard. Find more info at www.investmentresourcesonline.info

Never set price targets. Stick on to one style of trading instead of following various trading methods. The performance of a stock or share is reflected in the volume and price it is traded. Never get influenced by the opinions expressed by individuals.

Take note of all the signals emanating from the market which is connected with the stock or share you are holding. Do not get swayed by variations in data during the trading day. Reliance on such swings will lead to wrong decisions. A trader who is stressed out will be making a lot of wrong decisions, so take time out periodically during the day.

Lucy Bartlett is a proud contributing author. Find more articles here. For more info visit Investing or Trading

How To Make Money On The Stock Exchange

2007-10-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

Despite some intensive searching online, I have been unable to locate a fact that I remember reading some months ago.

The fact was this: 80 percent of private investors lose money in their direct investments.

This is the secret that Wall Street does not want you to know. I guess it could be worse. I remember reading some years ago that 97 percent of all gamblers in the UK lose over time.

There are several reasons for why the majority of investors lose money. The main one is almost certainly due to knowledge. Whilst it is not my intention to suggest that insider knowledge is used, it is hard to imagine that some unscrupulous traders are not involved.

What is more important is that many or most private investors simply do not conduct enough research into the firms in which they plan to invest. Company accounts are not looked at or only briefly. Competitors are not assessed thoroughly.

The stock exchange is a very competitive place to make money. All those red braces wearing investment banker types take the game very seriously and so should we private investors if we plan to win.

In fact, the stock exchange is so competitive that at times even some of these investment banks fail to make a profit, despite all the advantages they hold over the rest of us.

Therefore, we private investors need to work very hard to compete. It is possible. The markets are so large that many private investors can earn a comfortable living online.

It is also vital to be disciplined and to follow investments and companies of interest very closely. If you need to sell out at a moments notice, the discipline to do so is required immediately. Failure can cost you your profits and potentially your initial investment as well.

As prices change, so must your goals. Using a stop loss or some variant can help your selling strategy, but when it is time to sell, you must.

Before you start on your own private stock exchange odyssey, you need to invest time and effort to learn the basic (and some more advanced) skills. These will help you for years to come. You then need to commit to continual improvement in your knowledge and skills. This is what will keep you up with 'the game'.

You may also find that you need some form of computer monitoring software. Many of the services allow real time price data. This will help you to accuately track your performance over time and alert you to any important news about your companies. For medium to large investors, such software is worth its weight in gold.

As time passes, you will need to understand the basics of asset allocation. This will help to prevent you from having all of your net worth tied up in company stocks and thus will help to provide more stability to your personal finances. As your net worth grows, it becomes ever more important to be diversified so that your future is tied less and less to the results of the stock exchange.

In conclusion, the stock exchange is a place where fortunes can be made and lost, but only the hard working are likely to prosper. Good luck.

Stuart Langridge is an experienced investor and investment adviser. To read more of his down-to-earth investment advice, click here: http://www.StockExchangeSecrets.com

Historical CD Rates

2007-10-05T00:27:00.000-07:00

When looking at historical CD rates, it is apparent that some trends have remained constant. Generally, institutions that offer certificate of deposits grant higher rates of interests on their CDs that customers deposit money for the agree-on term than those on the CDs in which customers can withdraw the money on demand. For instance, during 2004 most of the popular banks in the world had offered 0.4% annual rate of interest on saving account deposits which are payable on demand, 0.8% on a 3-month CD and 2% on a 2-year CD.

When studying historical CD rates, the trend indicates that over the last 30 years the rates of interest were ranging in between 2-16% annually. During 1979, the average rate of interest on CDs was 11.44% worldwide. This was the rate before considering tax rate and inflation rate. During the same period, those rates were 66% and 13% respectively, which in turn left the net rate of interest of CD as 9.41%.

In 1981, the CD rate was almost 16% and in which year the tax rate and inflation rate were 66% and 9%. All of these factors have kept the net rate of return on CD as 3.5%. During the year 1986, the gross rate of interest was only 6.6%. However the tax rate and inflation rate were comparatively low which were only 52% and 1.1% respectively. Therefore there would not be more deductions from rate of return on CDs resulting in the net rate as 2.02%.

Whatever the previous rates may be, one can say that billions of dollars have been invested in CDs during the 20th and 21 centuries. When deciding on whether to invest in a CD or to go for other sources of investment, Investors need to take their goals and the rate of return into account.

CD Rates provides detailed information about CD rates, CD rate calculators, CD rate comparisons, and more. CD Rates is affiliated with Online Brokerage Firms.

Practical Tips For Successful Stock Trading

2007-10-04T09:10:00.001-07:00

It takes money to make money.

This is especially true for stock investment and trading. Investing money involves a great deal of risk.

The first message a successful businessman will tell you is that any stock trading venture carries potential risk along with potential reward. The trick is to establish if the profit is worth the risk. If it is, it is now time to consider if you are prepared to take the risk.

But it doesn't necessarily mean that to achieve good profits, one has to invest heavily and risk deeply. A well-informed investor can make sound decisions that will help him make considerable profits with minimal loss.

So before you begin trading in stocks, ask yourself these questions:

a) What are your investment goals?

b) Are you ready to take bigger risks for better profits?

c) Are you prepared that your investments may lose money?

If you select a low-return investment, it will mean that either you increase the quantity you invest or increase the span of time invested.

Setting your investment goals will permit you to know how long you're willing to wait for a stock to achieve profit. It will also give you a threshold on how much you're prepared to lose. It gives you an idea on how to go about investing in a stock.

After you have made up your mind with the above questions, there are some tips you may want to use to assess your trading approach in order not to fail in stock trading.

Stock Trading Tips:

a) Discipline yourself

You are so excited to make trades that you trade on a stock that looks half-decent enough instead of waiting for the best stock to come along.

b) When to invest

Ordinarily, you want to trade all the time. You get excited when you see shares go up or when they drop. You make decisions based on a whim and factors that don't typically influence a stock in the long run. The best traders pause 50% of the time waiting and studying how a stock performs. They do not trade every day and all the time.

c) Don't be too emotional

Making money is exciting. Losing money can get very depressing. Detach yourself from your emotions; otherwise, you won't be able to look at things objectively.

d) Small moves big payoffs

Don't waste time dabbling in so many small stocks with minimal profit. Be on a lookout for big stocks and concentrate on a few.

Trading stocks is a high-risk, high-profit venture. Dabbling in the stock market ill-informed is suicide. Take your time. Examine, study and be patient. After all, it's your money.

Thomas Choo runs Stock Trading System at http://www.stocktrading-system.com/ Visit to discover the astonishingly simple 3-step strategy on how to pick stocks like a pro.

How To Minimise Losses The Next Time You Invest

2007-10-03T15:20:00.001-07:00

When it comes to investment, some people are not very sure what kind of risk and returns they are exposed. Most of the times, returns are discussed in depth but when it comes to returns, people do not pay special attention. If you have a sound financial knowledge, I am sure you will calculate all the risk that you will be exposed. In short, one will be automatically exposed to risk when one made an investment.

Risk can be classified into two categories. Systematic risk; represents risk that is common to all assets. It cannot be diversified away. The other type of risk is unsystematic risk; represents risk that is unique to an asset and can be diversified away.

Examples of systematic risks are interest risk, inflation risk, market risk, exchange risk and reinvestment risk. On the other hand, examples of an unsystematic risk are country risk, liquidity risk, business risk, default or credit risk, industry risk and financial risk.

As you can see, risk is a word that has a lot of meaning to it. You will need to consider the risk you will be taking. Choosing an investment vehicle is not an easy task as it requires you to do a thorough homework. A mistake in you r risk assessment can cause a huge lost.

The main idea of investment is to reduce the lost and increase the returns. There is no point if you make small returns conservatively but at one point, you make a huge lost. Risk can be reduced not eliminated. If you are not sure of what kind of risk you are exposed to, it is better that you do not invest in that asset. You will need to be sure and confident of your investment.

Be sure to do your research the next time you make an investment. There is no room for mistakes. You do not invest your money in an asst and hope that it will prosper. Hope are for the hopeless. You will need to be actively involved in your investments so that you can avoid unnecessary losses.

Asset Location - Increase Investing Returns & Reduce Your Taxes

2007-10-03T11:06:00.001-07:00

Location Once the holy grail only for real estate investors is fast becoming the mantra for every stock, bond, and mutual fund investor. Experts and studies now recognize managing asset location is second only to asset allocation in determining the success of your investment returns.

Importance of Asset Location:
Asset location is a cornerstone to success for a simple reason. Taxable accounts differ from tax-deferred accounts {401(k), IRA and similar retirement}. Taxable accounts require you to pay income tax on every dividend and capital gain generated by your investments. This tax substantially reduces the amount of reinvestment and annual investment growth. On the other hand, retirement accounts defer taxes allowing returns to compound without penalty and at a substantially faster rate. Asset location refers to the optimal placement of securities between taxable and tax-deferred accounts. Good choices reward investors with long-term compounding and significantly higher returns. Poor choices, or more commonly, no choice, leads to below average results.

The effects are striking. Investors lose up to 20% of their after-tax returns by mislocating investments in the wrong type of account. So says a recent study from three finance professors Robert Dammon and Chester S. Spatt, of Carnegie Mellon University, and Harold H. Zhang of the University of North Carolina. The professors analyzed two asset classes, stocks and bonds, to determine suitability for investing within tax-deferred accounts. Their conclusion? Investors should keep equities in taxable accounts and bonds in tax-deferred accounts, to the greatest extent possible. Young investors stand the most to gain by following such advice. Three of the most powerful elements of investing -- dividends, deferred taxes, and compounding interest combine for a staggering effect to retirement income.

Unfortunately, the typical investor never takes advantage of all three benefits. A recent Federal Reserve survey shows Americans invest their taxable and tax-deferred accounts with identical securities. People focus on individual accounts rather than their entire portfolio. They ignore the benefits of allocating investments among different accounts and wind up with several accounts all holding the exact same thing. To their detriment, nearly half of all investors own bonds in taxable accounts and stocks in tax-deferred accounts.

Why asset location works:
Tax efficiency is more important than ever. Two recent changes have driven asset location strategy. Last years tax cut, the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, slashed top tax rates on dividends from 35% to 15%. Those same dividends, however, would be taxed at the ordinary rate (up to 35%) when withdrawn from a retirement account. The new law further cut taxes on capital gains from 20% to 15%. Since most equity investments generate returns from both dividends and capital gains, investors realize lower tax bills when holding stocks or equity mutual funds within a taxable account.

Similarly, fixed-income investments (e.g. bonds) and real estate trusts generate a regular flow of cash. These interest payments are subject to the same ordinary income tax rates of up to 35%. A tax-deferred retirement account provides investors with the best possible shelter for such securities and their resulting profits.

Which investment goes where?
Fortunately, your asset location strategy can be relatively simple. Place highly taxed assets in the tax-deferred accounts first. Anything left over can go into the taxable accounts. From the academic study, the professors concluded with three general rules to help with the decision process. First, locate taxable bonds, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and related mutual funds into tax-deferred accounts. Second, locate stocks and equity mutual funds into taxable accounts even if you are an active trader and generate substantial short-term gains. Third, never buy a municipal bond until you completely fill tax-deferred accounts with taxable bonds or REITs. The combination of compounding and deferring taxes on the higher yields of corporate bonds is. If all this sounds a little overwhelming, just consult the table below.

Table 1: Asset Locations for High Returns and Minimal Taxes.

TAXABLE ACCOUNTS
-- Stocks
-- Tax-free or tax-deferred bonds (munis, treasuries, and savings bonds)
-- Mutual funds investing in stocks or tax-advantaged bonds

TAX-DEFERRED ACCOUNTS (traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, and deferred annuities)
-- Taxable bonds (corporates, zeroes, TIPS, and high yields)
-- REITS (Real Estate Investment Trusts)
-- Mutual funds investing in taxable bonds or REITS

Two exceptions are worth noting. First, qualified distributions from Roth IRAs are tax free. Generally speaking, place assets with the greatest potential for returns inside a Roth. Second, if a 401(k) or IRA holds all (or nearly all) your investment money, throw this article away and focus only on asset allocation.

Summary:
You, as an informed investor, can take control over taxes and related expenses to your investment returns. Allocate your investments to reduce risk and increase returns. Locate your investments by managing all your accounts to minimize the tax drag on your financial returns.

Tim Olson

TheAssetAdvisor.com

Mr. Olson is the editor of The Asset Advisor, a financial investment service providing proven strategies for no-load mutual fund investors. He brings 26 years of education and experience from Stanford University, Ernst & Young financial consulting, personal wealth management, and venture capital investing.

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Screenwriter: Trading Places (1983) Deconstructed

2007-10-03T09:56:00.001-07:00

From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters at www.managing-creativity.com

The Hero's Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero's Journey:

Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

The Hero's Journey is also a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. It is compelling that screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays.

Screenwriter: Trading Places (1983) deconstructed

A good example of integrating two heroes in your story...

FADE IN: context; the city; visuals show the contrast between the working class and the well off.

Hero 1 and Mentor in their Ordinary World: Winthorpe and Coleman at home; Winthorpe at work.pork bellies.

Meeting the Antagonists and their motivations: Meeting the Dukes; debating Nature versus Nurture.

Hero 2 in his Ordinary World: Valentine begs from the Dukes.

Developing the Antagonists: the crop report; Randolph doesnt think that the scientist should have won the Nobel prize; mother always said Mortimer was greedy.

Antagonists nature: Ezra gets $5 for Christmas.

Meeting the Shape Shifters: dinner with suspect friends and Penelope.

Foreshadow of the Final Conflict: $50k to Clarence Beeks.

Foreshadow of the Call to Adventure: the Dukes talk about Winthorpe.

Developing Hero 2: Valentine pretending to be blind and crippledwhat unit were you in?

Developing the Antagonists and the Heroes: Valentine takes the briefcase; Winthorpe gets Valentine arrested.

Call to Adventure: the Dukes make a wager.

First Threshold (Hero 1) and Meeting Allies: Winthorpe at dinner with Penelope (Shape Shifter) and Coleman (Mentor).

Mentor agrees to the Journey: Coleman agrees to the Dukes request.

Foreshadow of the Physical Separation: Coleman will not be needed anymore.

First Threshold (Hero 2) and Meeting Allies: Valentine in Jail; "what, you ignorant"

Physical Separation: The Dukes bail Valentine.

Journey to the World of the Transformation on the Magic Carpet: The Dukes explain the deal in their car.

Meeting the Mentor: Valentine meets Coleman.

Hero 2 is a fish out of water in the World of the Transformation: Valentine in his new home "everything in here is mine, right?"

Hero 2s true nature: dropping the vase, Im sorry about that

Physical Separation (Hero 1): Beeks plants the notes on Winthorpe; being shamed in the Heritage Club.

Hero 1 is a fish out of water in the World of the Transformation: being stripped of the Old Self. (Winthorpe stripped on entrance to the prison).

Hero 2 (Transformation 1): Valentine in the bar; showing the big boys his Limo outside; you gotta lotta guts showing your face in here Accompanied by the Mentor: Coleman is waiting outside.

Hero 2 (Transformation 2): Valentine throwing everyone out of his house. Accompanied by the Mentor: Coleman being the butler.

Meeting Hero 1s Mentor: Meeting Ophelia.

Shape Shifter character developed: Penelope waiting for Winthorpe.

Shape Shifter switches: Penelope leaves Winthorpe.

Hero 1 (Transformation 1): Coleman doesnt let Winthorpe in the house. Accompanied by the Mentor: Ophelia watches.

Hero 1 (Transformation 2): Winthorpe gets thrown out of the bank. Accompanied by the Mentor: Ophelia watches.

Resistance to Trial 3 (Hero 1): Ophelia (the Mentor) almost leaves Winthorpe.

Foreshadow of the Final Conflict: Valentine and Winthorpe see each other through the car windows.

Resistance to Trial 3 (Hero 2): Valentine doesnt know what they want from him; Coleman tells Valentine to stay true to himself.

Trial 3 (Hero 2): Valentine enters the Dukes building and is taught about commodities.

Trial 3 (Hero 1): Learning Ophelia is a prostitute.

Seizing the Sword (Hero 2): Valentine makes the Dukes money playing the pork belly market; Valentine returns the money he finds on the floor (becomes trustworthy).

Seizing the Sword (Hero 1): Winthorpe learns the true nature of his friends; buying the gun; learning that money aint easy to come by; of his previously privileged existence.

Near Death Experience (Hero 2): Winthorpe offends at dinner

Near Death Experience (Hero 1): Winthorpe in bed with the flu.

Developing the Mentor: Ophelia turns down a customer.

Reward (Hero 2): the blonde hits on Valentine over dinner.

Reward (Hero 1): Ophelia gets into bed with Winthorpe.

Foreshadow of the Atonement (Hero 1): Winthorpe sees Valentines picture in the paper.

Complete Transformation (Hero 2): Valentine working late at Christmas.

Foreshadow of the Atonement (Hero 2) Valentine notices the cheque for Mr Beeks; wonders what wager they're discussing.

Complete Transformation (Hero 1): Winthorpe becomes a criminal; plants drugs in Valentines office; holds a gun up to security.

Complete Transformation (Hero 2): Valentine thinks Winthorpe should be put in jail.

Complete Transformation (Hero 1): Winthorpe drunk; a bum; eating fish I the bus.

Atonement with the Father (Hero 2): Valentine learns about the wager in the bathroom; that Valentine will be switched back.

Resisting the Atonement with the Father (Hero 1): Winthorpe walks away from Valentine; tries to kill himself.

Atonement with the Father (Hero 1): Winthorpe tries to kill Valentine.

Apotheosis: Valentine tells Winthorpe that the Dukes made a bet; wager was for $1.

Ultimate Boon: (Synergy): Back in the house; Valentine, Winthorpe, Ophelia and Coleman acting as a unit.

Refusal of the Return: Valentine tells Winthorpe he cant just shoot the Dukes.

Rescue from Without: Mr Beeks on TV.

Magic Flight: the characters on the train; dressing up on the train; tackling Beeks and swapping the briefcases.

Crossing the Return Threshold: Valentine and Winthorpe give the Dukes the false crop report; dressing up as Beeks.

Journey to the Final Conflict: Coleman and Ophelia give up their life savings.

Master of the Two Worlds / Final Conflict: Valentine and Winthorpe are masters of the Stock Exchange; the Dukes have to sell their seats on the exchange.

Freedom to Live: Coleman chooses both the lobster and the crab on the island.

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Kal Bishop, MBA

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Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://managing-creativity.com/

The End Of A Dream: Economic Factors Stimulating the Self Directed IRA Investment Market

2007-10-02T20:38:00.000-07:00

Unbeknownst to 98% of working people, the 40 year career plan is over. Statistics show that by age 65 less than 2% of Americans can truly retire in comfort without the help of family members or the government. The lackluster performance of the stock market over the past 6 years has dashed many people's hopes of retiring early. It used to be that you could get a great education, get a great job and settle with a company by the age of 25, keep your nose clean, work your way to the top of the corporate ladder, invest in your company's stock program along the way and by the age of 65 retire from the company you sacrificed for with a good pension and medical expenses covered for the rest of your life.

For many hard working people this is now just wishful thinking and a pipe dream.

Today's norms:

The harsh reality is: Corporate down-sizing (e.g. Gillette, Ford, and GM). Corporate bankruptcies - Enron, Worldcom). Companies robbing corporate pension plans and judges standing by allowing it to happen just ask people working for the airlines, illegal insider stock trading, age discrimination, companies cannot afford to pay health insurance premiums because they have sky-rocketed and guess what? People are living longer.

Other forces: World Instability, unfettered nuclear proliferation, September 11th, natural disasters all cooked together.

Yes, the poor performance of the stock market, lower interest rates and the recent real estate boom have contributed greatly to people looking for alternative investment strategies such as opportunities to invest in real estate with a self directed ira and other retirement funds. But, in of itself this phenomenon is not the only outside stimulus contributing to this financial paradigm shift.

For example, the Internet, information proliferation, people's ability to share information on blogs, the availability of online financial software, and access to real time stock quotes have empowered investors like never before to think outside of the traditional array of investment strategies.

Benefits of investing with a self directed IRA account:

It can stimulate a slowing or sluggish economy A self directed IRA plan is great for recession proofing the economy. For example, money freed up from a retirement account if used to purchase real estate enables construction crews employed.

With the ability to look outside the stock market, an investor may find alternative investment vehicles that are safe, secure and tangible that produce higher returns. This is great for investors who nee to make up for lost time.

Is flexible and permits true retirement diversification and wealth accumulation in tangible assets.

Global investing With your self directed IRA LLC with checkbook control, you can invest in international real estate by simply writing a check from your IRA account and without asking for trust or custodial approval.

Granted self directing your retirement portfolio to purchase real estate is not for everyone as there are IRS rules to follow and a new vocabulary to become familiar with. But seriously, what are your legitimate alternatives?

Joshua Geary is an avid writer, business strategist and online marketing consultant. For more information on how to turn your Self Directed IRA into a wealth building money magnet visit his company online at http://www.MyRealEstateIra.com